Unexpected
by cassiemortmain
Summary: A modern, very AU S/T story - Sybil as the older woman who catches the eye of a young Irish journalist one winter's night in North London - rated M. This chapter continues the STEAMM arc for this story, a festival on Tumblr celebrating all three Crawley sisters and the men they love. This time, we are at Mary and Matthew's engagement party at Downton Abbey...
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note -  
_

This is my first Downton Abbey modern AU S/T story, and my first try at any kind of multi-chaptered story! Thank you to those of you who gave me feedback when I previewed this chapter on Tumblr recently, particularly the Yankee Countess.

Setting the scene for what is to come - Sybil as the older woman who catches the eye of a young Irish journalist one winter's night in North London...

* * *

**Chapter 1 - First meeting**

"Come on Sybil, come out with me tonight. You've been a bit down since you broke up with Larry and you need to kick up your heels and have some fun."

Sybil smiled at her sister. "I wish I could, Mary – I've just got too much work to do. Things are manic at the hospital right now and Mrs Collins' operation is tomorrow, so I have to do some prep for that."

"Just this once?" Mary pleaded, and got that look in her eye she knew Sybil couldn't say no to. Sure enough, Sybil finally agreed… "Just for a couple of drinks though, I can't afford a hangover tomorrow."

She spent more time that usual getting ready – it had been a while since she had been out in the evening and she was unusually indecisive about what to wear. In the end, she chose a straight black skirt, long black boots and a fitted shirt (with one extra button undone), borrowing Mary's leather jacket to complete the look."What do you think?"

"You look fantastic – come on, let's go, taxi's here!"

* * *

They pushed their way through the door of The Crown, a pub just off Upper Street crowded with Christmas revellers. Shaking the snow off her shoulders, Mary looked around for her boyfriend who was meeting them there –"Matthew? Stay there, we'll come to you once we have our drinks."

She gestured for Sybil to follow her and caught the eye of the bartender. "Two martinis, straight up with an olive, please."

Sybil sipped at her drink – "Wow, that is strong. Careful, Mary, you know I am a bit of a one pot screamer!"

They made their way over to Matthew who had scored a corner table. Sybil noticed there was someone else sitting there – a young, fair haired man in a dark blue jacket.

They all exchanged smiles and Matthew said – "Sybil, I don't think you know my friend, Tom Branson?"

Tom hadn't even been planning to go out that night. Somehow, Matthew had talked him into it even though they were both still recovering from the previous night's celebrations after their team's unexpected win in the mid week football league. Today had been hectic at the paper too, with one story after another falling through, which left them scrambling to put tomorrow's front page together much later than normal. Islington was way out of his comfort zone as well – he was more of a South London boy, and rarely made it north of the Thames.

He heard "Here comes Mary" and looked up to see Matthew's girlfriend coming towards their table. His eyes opened a bit wider, though, when he saw who was behind her – a beautiful woman with long, dark hair and what was quite frankly the sexiest smile he'd seen since he didn't know when. "Who is that?" he couldn't help exclaiming.

"Oh, that's Mary's sister Sybil." Matthew looked completely innocent which immediately made Tom suspect he was up to something. Why hadn't anyone mentioned to him that Sybil was coming? Not that he was complaining, mind you – he could look at this woman all night quite happily. He found himself moving up to make room so Sybil could take the fourth seat at their table.

Sybil exchanged glances with Mary and mouthed the words "What are you up to?" Mary smiled and ignored her, focusing all her attention on Matthew, and leaving Sybil to talk to Tom. She looked up from her drink and saw a pair of very blue eyes looking at her.

"So, you're a friend of Matthew's, are you? How do you know each other?" They fell easily into conversation and Sybil quickly realised that the combination of her second Martini and Tom's Irish accent was making her face feel warmer than she would have expected on that cold night. And she could see that Tom was interested in her too – he kept looking at her lips when she spoke, which made her wonder what he would be like to kiss.

"Stop it Sybil, enough!" she thought. "He's got to be at least five years younger than you, and you don't do the cougar thing, remember?" If only the rational part of her brain were as strong as her instincts, she smiled to herself. Somehow, she knew that if things started to happen between her and this gorgeous guy, she would go with it as far as it took her.

* * *

As the evening went on and the laughter and conversation flowed between them, Tom decided to be bold – what did he have to lose, after all? He put his arm around the back of Sybil's chair and looped his feet through the cross bar to pull her a bit closer to him, and she didn't resist. He left his arm on the back of the chair and turned to face her more directly. "So did you know I was coming here tonight?" Sybil's sudden blush made him realise she had the same thoughts as he had – Matthew and Mary had set them up.

"Do you mind?" Sybil shook her head and her cheeks got even pinker. She looked up and saw his eyes fixed on hers, but she didn't look away. He moved even closer to her till he could feel her soft breath on his face, and feeling her unspoken desire he closed the gap between them by putting his hand under her chin to lift her face and gently bringing his lips to hers.

Sybil surprised herself by quickly deepening the kiss, and felt an electric charge between them as she closed her eyes and put one hand on the back of his neck, pulling him even closer. The noise of the crowded pub around them faded away – all she could feel in all her senses was him. She felt like a teenager having her first kiss – everything seemed brand new.

Tom hadn't felt like this in a long time. This instant chemistry between them had taken him totally by surprise, and when their kiss finally broke, this feeling made him ask Sybil a question he would normally never have asked within a couple of hours of meeting someone. "Want to get out of here?"

Sybil knew she should say no and laugh it off, but somehow she didn't want to. How she felt was crazy, but somehow she didn't mind. She could feel Mary's eyes on her, but somehow that didn't matter. She looked deeply into Tom's eyes."Come on then."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - First (real) date**

Sybil got off the tube at Angel and made her way down City Road. She was completely exhausted – she hadn't been home before she headed to the hospital that morning, and things had been frantic all day.

"Where are my damn keys?" she muttered as she headed towards her block of flats. She had to dump her bag on the top step and rummage through it to find them, so by the time she pushed her way in and up the stairs to her front door she wanted nothing more than a hot bath and a cold sauvignon blanc to take the edge off the day.

As the water ran, she remembered she had turned her phone off before she went into surgery and switched it back on – the phone immediately beeped to let her know she had voicemail.

The first message was from Mary "Sybil? Oh my God, you have to call me to tell me about last night!" As she started listening to the next message, she felt a flush rise up her face as an Irish accent came on the line:

"Hey Sybil – it's Tom. Are you doing anything tomorrow night – a few of us are going to a club and I thought you may want to come – I remember you told me you liked to dance? Let me know – cheers."

Images from the previous night rushed into her mind in a wave – as she closed her eyes and sank into her bath, the memories were so intense they were almost physical….

The phone interrupted Sybil's reverie – "Sybil, where are you? Aren't you home yet –" and she got out of the bath to speak with her excited sister. "Where have you been – I've been trying to reach you all day!"

Sybil smiled and sat down on the couch with her glass of wine. Normally she and Mary shared everything about their lives but for some reason she wanted to keep this "thing" with Tom to herself until she had an idea what it was really about. She deflected most of Mary's questions with a laugh but did tell her he'd asked her out for tomorrow night, and promised to give her a call over the weekend.

Sybil spent the rest of the evening with her feet curled up under her, watching the latest David Attenborough documentary, and before long she found herself dozing off. She came back to herself with a start at about 9.30 and decided to go to bed, but before she did she spent a few minutes writing (and rewriting) a "casual" text back to Tom to accept his invitation for Friday night. In the end, she sent:

_Sounds like a plan – where shall I meet you?_

Within a few minutes her phone beeped:

_We're going to the White House in Clapham Park Road – meet us at the King's Head for drinks around 10?_

… and suddenly she couldn't wait till tomorrow.

_You're on._

* * *

Friday night partying was already in full swing as Sybil came into the pub and looked around for Tom. Eventually, she caught a glimpse of dirty blonde hair and gesticulating hands – he was sitting on a bar stool, holding forth to a group of friends. He was getting quite enthusiastic about whatever it was he was talking about, but interrupted himself mid-flow when he saw her and beckoned her over with a smile.

"Everyone – this is Sybil" was her introduction, as Tom made room for her next to him and got her a drink. Sybil quickly started to feel comfortable in the friendly group as they swapped stories about their week. Secretly, she was glad to see there was quite a mix of ages – she'd been a bit worried on her way there that she'd be older than everyone else, but her worries soon vanished as she sipped on her drink and chatted happily with one of Tom's friends, a pretty red haired girl called Gwen.

Before long, they were laughing their way down the road to the club. As she headed inside, Sybil remembered she hadn't done this for years, since her student days really. Although she didn't recognise the music, the pulsing basslines and flashing lights got into her system and she felt her body starting to move to its own rhythm. She saw Tom looking at her with the same look she had seen the night they met, and somehow, without either of them consciously moving towards the other, they ended up on the small dancefloor together. They started moving as one as the beat came up through their feet and the club crowd vibrated around them. Surrounded by people, but lost in their own world, their eyes locked in the darkness as they danced. They moved closer together with each step until Tom slipped his arm around her waist and their lips met in a kiss.

The chemistry between them was even more amazing that Sybil had remembered, and she reached up eagerly to wrap her arms around his neck. His tongue teased at her lips seeking entry, and as she granted it an audible groan escaped him and he pulled her even closer. After some time passed – maybe five minutes, maybe half an hour? Sybil wasn't sure – he slowly pulled back from her. In the dim light, she could see his blue eyes were dark with desire and she suspected she looked just the same.

They stayed for another drink, but it wasn't long before they said goodbye to the others and headed out into the winter darkness. There was still snow on the ground and Tom put his arm around Sybil as she skidded on a patch of ice. The light of a taxi came into view and he flagged it down. "Where to, miss?" Tom joked as they climbed in, remembering she had told him that Titanic was one of her favourite movies. As Sybil smiled and started to respond "To the stars", he reached for her and pulled her across the taxi seat and into his arms. They started to kiss again and his fingers slipped under the collar of her shirt to stroke her from her hairline, to her jaw, and down her throat to the hollow above her collarbone, his gentle touch sending shivers down her spine. There was no more need to talk - they both knew where they were headed next...

* * *

_A/N -  
_

Hope you won't be too strongly reminded of a certain "backpack" scene by this chapter! :) Thanks again to the Yankee Countess for her encouragement, and to de-profundis-url who recently posted the S/T "To the stars" gifset on Tumblr, which gave me the idea for the last paragraph.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note -  
_

Thank you so much to everyone who has read/followed/reviewed the story so far – what a thrill! I love to hear from you.

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Catching up**

"… and inhale, and bring the arms up into Warrior pose. Hold the pose and breathe in…. out…. "

Sybil felt herself wobbling as she tried to hold the pose and focus on nothing but her breath. Finally, their teacher released them – "and inhale, and straighten your front leg and bend at the hip, resting your hand on your shin. Now reach your other arm high to the sky … and gently turn your head to gaze at it…. Triangle pose. Hold the pose and breathe in….. out…."

Sybil and Mary were at their usual Tuesday night yoga class – it was a standing appointment, if neither was working late. Usually, Sybil found the class very relaxing as it helped her to quiet her mind and focus on the present, but somehow this time her mind kept getting distracted as she thought about other things. Or one other thing in particular…

Their teacher closed the class with a cheery "Namaste, everyone – see you next week!" Mary turned to her as she gathered up her things – "Time for some sushi?" Sybil nodded and they headed out of the studio towards their favourite local Japanese restaurant, just along Upper St. Settling into their usual table, Mary looked at her sister and picked up her spicy tuna roll – "Now, spill! I haven't spoken to you in a week - what is going on with you and Tom?"

"Where do I start! You know me of recent times – reliable Sybil, with the good career as a surgical registrar, going out with Larry, the steady boyfriend she's been seeing since medical school. Never giving my family a moment's worry, never doing anything surprising or spontaneous. And then this guy comes along out of nowhere and after seeing him only a few times, suddenly I'm thinking about him all day, like a teenager! He makes me feel young, and beautiful, and free to act on instinct, not just on what's 'sensible'," said Sybil, making air quotes on the last word, "the way I used to when I was young, remember? I'm really enjoying feeling that way again."

Mary looked sceptical. "What do you mean about you and Larry? I don't agree - I knew you two as a couple for years and you were really good together ... well, until the last few months anyway – you just ran out of steam, that's all." Sybil responded after a moment's thought. "Larry and I were really best mates who ended up dating, nothing more. I never felt like this when I was with him …" Sybil tailed off and felt herself catch her breath, as a particular moment from her last date with Tom popped into her mind – the way he had kissed the back of her neck, and then continued down her spine…

Mary gave her an irritated nudge – "Earth to Sybil? Look, I know Matthew and I set you and Tom up but we both thought it would just be a bit of fun for you both, not really something serious. I mean, he's only 22!"

Sybil frowned – in her heart, she did worry about that a bit too. Despite their physical connection, which was a revelation to her, and the fact that they got on brilliantly and always had plenty to talk about, she did wonder if one day Tom might start to think his life would be simpler if he were spending time with someone closer to his own age. Thinking about that, Sybil looked out the window to the darkening street. She thought she spotted someone familiar under a street light just outside – could it be Tom? He saw her and waved, and came inside with Matthew right behind him.

"We wrapped up football early tonight – the other team didn't show up… " Tom said, walking towards their table with a grin. Mary watched Sybil spark up like a 100 watt light bulb at the sight of him, and felt a tiny bit jealous seeing her like that. While she and Matthew had a great relationship, they had been together for more than two years now, and they were long past the time when just a touch or a smile from the other person could send them into ecstasy, which was clearly where Sybil and Tom were right now.

"Want some of my California roll? I can't finish it," said Sybil to Tom, who had perched on the edge of the table next to her. He looked into her eyes, gently smoothing a stray curl behind her ear, and found himself thinking – "Jesus, this woman is gorgeous – Tommy, mo buachaill, do not screw this up!" He said, "No thanks, I'm not really a sushi fan – didn't get a lot of it growing up in suburban Dublin! Are you almost finished – I thought I could walk you home?"

Sybil's smile nearly split her face – "Yes, I'm ready once we sort out the bill… Mary?" She reached for her handbag, but Mary waved her away, saying, "We'll get this, don't worry. Call me tomorrow – Edith is in London with Aunt Rosamund this weekend and she wants to do lunch."

Sybil kissed her sister by way of reply and she and Tom headed out of the restaurant, hand in hand. They stopped just outside on the footpath, and Mary and Matthew watched as Tom pulled Sybil into a close embrace, which lasted for several minutes before they walked off towards Sybil's flat, still entwined.

Mary had never seen her sister like this before – mentally, she took back what she had said to Sybil earlier. Matthew looked at Mary and said "What did she say? I have to tell you, Tom is totally smitten with Sybil – he couldn't stop talking about her at football tonight and when I told him I was coming up to meet you both after yoga I couldn't have stopped him from coming along if I tried!" Mary nodded. "She is exactly the same – at one point during our dinner tonight, I could see she was thinking about him and she was off with the fairies. I think she is really into him too. That glowing skin isn't just from yoga, you know!"

Matthew, using his "diplomatic lawyer" voice that had helped him rise swiftly up the ranks at his firm, spoke thoughtfully. "Far be it from me to interfere in other people's lives, but do you really think this can work? I mean, their lives and backgrounds are so different, not to mention the age difference. I can't deny the attraction between them – even I can see that's there in spades – but I'm a bit worried. I care about both of them, you see – Tom's a good friend."

Mary nodded – "I'm not sure either, Matt, but I know Sybil and I trust her judgment – we have to let them work this out for themselves. You never know, this thing may burn itself out in a few more weeks anyway – something this intense can't last, can it?" Matthew looked doubtful – "Don't know about that, at least from Tom's perspective… I've never seen him like this before, with anyone. Let's wait and see what comes next, eh? We can deal with it then."

Mary leaned over, touching his cheek with a loving look. "I can always count on you to say the right thing, darling. Where would I be without you!"

* * *

_A/N -_

"mo buachaill" - "my boy" in Irish Gaelic, per Google Translate. Please forgive me for any yoga-related mistakes in this chapter - I am no expert. :)


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note -  
_

Thank you so much to everyone who has read/followed/reviewed/favourited the story so far! As always, I love to hear from you. Look out for a familiar face making an appearance in this chapter...**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Tom's realisation**

The taxi eased its way though the early evening traffic on Fleet St with Sybil in the back. She was trying not to fidget with the neckline of her dress, which was cut lower than she was used to - Mary had insisted she buy it when they had gone shopping together the previous Saturday. Mary was used to attending fancy events, thanks to her job at a PR firm, and as a perk of her job she had discounts at several upmarket shops. She had encouraged Sybil to try on a dress at Whistles which was out of her normal price range, and when Sybil looked at herself doubtfully in the mirror, saying "Are you sure about this, Mary?", Mary had whistled and said "Sybil, you have to let the girls out to play sometimes! God knows, you are better endowed than I am - why not show it off? I guarantee you, Tom will not be able to take his eyes off you in that dress." "It's not his eyes I'm worried about," Sybil laughed and they shared a sisterly giggle as they headed to Ottolenghi on Upper St for a late lunch.

Sybil was on her way to the British Journalism Awards at Stationers' Hall. Tom's team at _The Guardian_ had been nominated for their coverage of the EU financial crisis, and Tom himself was nominated as young journalist of the year for his contribution to a leading article on the end of austerity, highlighting the French and Italian election results as pointers towards a changing mood in Europe. When he'd asked Sybil to be his date, she felt excited about the idea of being with him on the most important night of his career - it made her feel as if they were taking the next step in their relationship.

The dome of St Paul's came into view as the taxi pulled up outside the venue and Sybil made a dash for the door through the spitting rain. Crossing the threshold, she looked up at the beautiful vaulted ceiling and remembered reading about a disastrous fire at the Hall not so long ago, and the recently completed renovations which had restored it to its previous splendour. She headed towards the door of the Main Hall and lingered for a moment, trying to see if Tom was there already. In a few minutes, she saw him - as usual, he was the centre of a laughing crowd of people. However, what was not so usual was the sight of a woman hanging on his arm and looking up into his face with no attempt to hide her flirtatious expression. Sybil saw to her dismay that the girl looked like Carey Mulligan in her pixie cut phase - young, blonde, beautiful and with a style of her own. She watched as the fringes on the other woman's red flapper dress moved with her, ensuring she was the centre of attention. Some well meaning remarks Mary had been making recently about her and Tom, along the lines of "Are you keeping up with him OK - must be exhausting, spending time with a younger man with your schedule?", had continued to stoke the slight fires of insecurity she felt. Seeing him with a woman so much younger - she couldn't be more than 20 - made those feelings flare up again...

Tom looked around and spotted Sybil at the door. His jaw visibly sagged when he saw her smooth black satin column dress that clung to her beautiful curves. Her slightly tousled updo, dressed with a diamond clip borrowed from Mary, and the silver velvet ribbon tied as a choker around her neck completed an impression of beauty and grace which left him breathless. He could not believe she was there to be with him and he felt an overwhelming sensation flow through him as he realised that he loved her. Not just because she was so beautiful, and sexy as hell, although he adored the way she looked and their physical connection was amazing. He loved her even more because of her care for others, her loyalty to those she loved, her quirky sense of humour, her intelligence and her passion for making the world a better place. He even loved her soft spot for romantic movies starring Kate Winslet, for crying out loud! He started walking towards her and as he caught her eye, he saw a hesitant smile cross her face.

"Hey, you. You look absolutely stunning - that dress should be licensed to kill. You get here OK?" He leaned in to give her a kiss, but she didn't immediately respond. "I saw you with a young woman just now - who was she?" For a minute he could not think what she meant. Then he realised - "Oh, you mean Edna - the blonde? She's part of the marketing team at the paper." "You two seemed very … c-close." Sybil stammered slightly saying that - she surprised herself with the feelings of jealousy she was experiencing. Tom quickly reassured her - "Sybil, I promise there is nothing at all going on there! Believe me, there is no-one else for me except you tonight - you are the most beautiful woman in the room." He moved towards her and slid one hand around her waist, pulling her towards him and smiling so sweetly that she couldn't help but believe him as his lips met hers. The electricity that was always just below the surface sparked up between them so quickly she forgot all about Edna, closing her eyes and moving into his body as their kiss grew deeper. It was one of the most romantic moments of her life - standing there in that beautiful room with Tom's arms around her, feeling his hand slowly slide up her spine to caress the back of her neck, surrounded by soft music and glowing light. When Tom eventually broke their kiss he heard her sigh - "Plenty more where that came from later," he joked. He was happy to see her lovely smile back on her face as she took his arm and they headed over to Tom's colleagues.

Sybil took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and heard a bell ring as a deep voice announced "Ladies and gentleman, please take your seats as the ceremony is about to begin." They headed towards a table set with a damask cloth, silver cutlery and shining glassware and settled into place as the MC made his opening remarks and their dinners were served. Tom's award was up after only a few categories - he was glad he had practiced his gracious loser face before he came, since someone else's name was announced. Although he was disappointed, he knew the woman who had won was a wonderful journalist whose work he really respected, and having Sybil lean into his ear and whisper "Don't worry, you will get your award later tonight …." quickly took the sting out of the moment.

As the evening progressed, Sybil really started enjoying herself, getting into an animated discussion with Tom's boss about the Yorkshire versus Lancashire rivalry, as he had moved down to London from Rochdale around the same time as Sybil had left Downton to start her training. It was fun listening to the banter around the table, and trying to understand the in jokes of the journalism crowd. She thought about how different her work outings usually were - a group of exhausted registrars, mostly coming off double shifts, competing to down pints as quickly as they could and swapping the most gruesome stories from the ward to show what "real" surgeons they were. She felt Tom's arm across the back of her chair and leaned into him as she reached for another glass of wine, smiling as his fingers gently stroked her shoulder. As the last award of the evening was announced, everyone at their table let out a shout of joy - they had won! Tom's managing editor headed up to collect the prize on behalf of the team, and ordered another bottle of champagne for the table. Things got quite hilarious after that.

After a while, Sybil left the table to freshen up. When she got back, she was not very happy to see Edna had taken her seat and was leaning in close to Tom, with her hand on his arm and nodding seriously at something he was saying. Sybil felt a tigerish instinct strike her - "get off my man!" - and moved around to stand on Tom's other side, leaning into his face and planting a lingering kiss on his lips, which he returned with interest. "Come on Tom darling, shall we dance?" Tom smiled at her - he knew exactly what she was doing, and he found it amazingly arousing to see her marking her territory like that.

They took a turn around the dance floor dancing to one of Sybil's favourite songs, "Dream a Little Dream," with Sybil leaning her head on Tom's shoulder all the way through. Then, they said their goodbyes and headed out into the night. Sybil stopped under a streetlight and wrapped her arms around Tom's neck, pulling him in for a kiss - as her tongue pushed its way past his lips, Tom let out a moan and leaned her up against the wall. A group of lads strolling past on a stag night let out a shout - "Get a room!" - and Tom released Sybil long enough to murmur into her hair, "That's exactly what I intend to do." Sybil smiled demurely and looked up at him through her eyelashes in a way perfectly calculated to drive him crazy as she pulled his shirt out of his waistband and he felt her hand stroking his stomach. He growled, only half in jest, "What are you doing to me, woman!" and felt his heart begin to race as his love for her swept over him again. Mind you, he admitted to himself, what he felt definitely wasn't courtly love at that particular moment - all he could think about was getting her home and finding out what was underneath that dress...

* * *

_A/N_**_ -_ **

The article Tom helped to write was inspired by a real article by the Nobel Prize winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz. Search for "Citizens in Europe are rejecting austerity policies as deeply misguided" on _The Guardian_ website if you want to read it.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's note -  
_

As always, thank you so much to everyone who has read/followed/reviewed/favourited the story so far! I love to hear from you.**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 5 - Tom's revelation**

"Dr Crawley to the nurses' station on level 3 please - that's Dr Crawley to the nurses' station on level 3."

Sybil was just pouring milk into her tea and breaking open the biscuit tin when she heard the page and groaned. "Can't I get five minutes to myself in this place?" she thought as she got to her feet and headed along the corridor towards the main gathering point on the oncology level. Sybil was spending most of her time in this part of the hospital these days, having decided to work towards a specialisation in cancer surgery over the last year or so. She really felt she had made the right choice - as heartbreaking as it could be and often was, she also found it uniquely satisfying to work as part of the team trying to help some of the sickest and most desperate patients in the hospital. Just that morning she had assisted in a complicated surgical procedure to give a young mother with two children a second chance at life. It really reminded her of why she had become a doctor in the first place - to help people and make a difference.

There was quite a crowd of people looking at something as she approached the nurses' station, and as she pushed through the swing gate, one of the nurses turned around and gave her a smile… "Dr Crawley, something you haven't told us?" Sybil, mystified, walked towards the rest of the group, which parted to let her see a beautiful bouquet of white lilies lying on the counter. She felt a blush rise up her face as she realised there was only one person these could be from.

Her friend Imogen, another surgical registrar, gave her a nudge - "Come on Sybil, we are all dying to know who sent them!" Sybil had to stop and think - what should she call Tom to this group of people who hadn't met him, when they hadn't had that discussion themselves yet? In the end, she smiled and said casually, "Oh, just a guy I have been seeing lately, I expect." She then had to spend several minutes fending off eager inquiries - somehow, she wanted to keep the details to herself rather than become the topic of gossip on the ward, although she thought it was probably already too late for that. She walked off saying something about looking for a vase, remembering a conversation with Tom a couple of weeks ago when she had mentioned in passing that lilies were her favourite flowers and feeling a small thrill that he had remembered and thought to send her some.

* * *

A couple of hours later, she was looking despairingly in the mirror - she looked almost as exhausted as she felt, and her hair was a mess. "Maybe I should get it cut one day as Mary suggested," she thought as she pulled on her coat and headed out the door. Suddenly she saw a familiar figure as Tom materialised out of the early evening gloom. A broad grin crossed his face as he saw what she was carrying in her arms - "Like them?" "Tom, they are absolutely gorgeous, thank you! I love them." Sybil felt Tom's arm slide around her as he leaned in for a kiss and for a moment she wished she wasn't holding a big bouquet as it meant she could not hold him the way she wanted to. "Hold that thought…"

"Want to go for a walk? I have a little surprise for you." Sybil nodded and took his hand as they started walking along Westminster Bridge Road. She felt herself leaving St Thomas' Hospital behind, both physically and mentally, as they started swapping stories about their week, and smiled as Tom told her about his football game the previous night, seeing how he couldn't hide his pride at having scored the winning goal. The darkening sky was streaked with gold and red and a breeze was blowing that smelt a bit like spring as they headed towards the Thames and turned right towards the old County Hall building. Tom was steering her towards something she had seen many times but never been to - the London Eye - and based on the recognition dawning on her face, he could see that she thought she had worked out what his surprise was. "Little do you know that is only the beginning," Tom smiled to himself.

They headed towards the queue and Sybil said, "Bound to be popular on a night like this one. Could be a bit of a wait?" Tom didn't reply - instead he led her to a sign saying "Priority boarding". The lady behind the counter smiled brightly, saying "How can I help you, sir?" Tom pulled some papers out of his coat pocket - "Booking for Branson, 6.30?" Their details were quickly confirmed and a wondering Sybil was guided to the head of the queue. They got onto the next capsule and when she turned around to see who was behind her, she was surprised to see the door was already closed and they were moving off. She realised that Tom had organised a private capsule for them, and as she turned around, he beckoned her over to sit next to him.

They didn't talk much for the next few minutes - Sybil leaned her head on Tom's shoulder as he put his arm around her, and they both enjoyed the magnificent views of London afforded by one of the highest points in the city as they made a start on the bottle of champagne that had been left for them. Tom listened to a track playing softly over the speaker and recognised it as Everything but the Girl's "English Rose", which made him smile and pull Sybil closer - "No matter where I roam, I will come back to my English rose…"

Sybil realised he could not have chosen a better surprise for her today. The peace and beauty of the scene stole into her soul, and as she watched what she thought could be a couple of red kites soaring and turning in the updrafts from the great wheel as they started their annual courtship rituals, she felt her exhausting day slipping away from her like a blanket slipping off a bed. She turned up her face to kiss him and saw he was reaching into his pocket for something.

"Here's the other part of the surprise," he said as he passed her an envelope tied with a red ribbon. Opening it, she saw two small silver shapes fall out and leaned forward to pick up a set of keys from the floor. Tom cleared his throat as he looked at her and took her other hand - "Sybil, I have to tell you something - I am in love with you. Pretty much since we met, I have thought about almost nothing else but you. I really want us to keep this relationship moving forward so I got you these. No pressure, mind …. " he tailed off, a bit uncertain of her reaction.

Sybil felt tears welling up - yes, she wanted them! Although they had only been dating for a couple of months, somehow she knew already that what they had was something really special, something she had never experienced before. "Tom - of course I want these, and I want to give you mine. I think about you all the time too. In fact, I think - " Sybil looked him straight in the eye and corrected herself - "in fact, I know - I am in love with you too."

They didn't talk for a while after that - the joy of newly discovered and shared love meant their lips were otherwise occupied for several minutes. Eventually, they broke apart and Sybil thought of something - "Tom, this may be a dumb question - does this mean you are my boyfriend? When the people at work asked me who sent these flowers, I didn't really know what to say…I didn't want to presume, since we never talked about it."

Tom's lips curled into a grin - "Let me walk you through it, Dr Crawley. When a man can't stop thinking about you [he paused for a kiss], and you have the most amazing sex [another kiss], and you see each other three or four times during the week and over most of the weekend [another, longer kiss], and he gives you his keys [another kiss, initiated by Sybil this time], and he tells you he is in love with you, it's pretty safe to say that man is your boyfriend, darling."

He pulled her to him and Sybil happily surrendered herself to the bliss of that perfect night. They kissed once, then again and again, each time a little more deeply. Tom lifted Sybil onto his lap and held her tightly as he smoothed his fingers through her tousled hair and caressed her tongue with his, eliciting little mews of pleasure from Sybil as his hand slipped inside her shirt to stroke her skin.

Just then, the capsule lurched to a stop. The guard put his head in and when he saw the two lovers locked in an embrace, oblivious to the world around them, and with a few buttons undone that he knew shouldn't be undone in a public place, he grinned and thought… "I better give them another minute." He shouted to his colleague - "Hang on, Nigel - don't move it on just yet!"

* * *

_A/N - _

Special thanks to two very talented people: to angiemagz, for permission to use one of her lovely S/T pics to accompany this story, and to the Yankee Countess, for giving me the English Rose idea and for her ongoing encouragement with this story.


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note -  
_

As always, thank you so much to everyone who has read/followed/reviewed/favourited the story so far! I love to hear from you.**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 6 - Family matters  
**

The bedroom door slowly opened, and Tom pushed his way in with a tray - "Sybil - you awake yet?" He walked over to the bed and saw she was stirring, her long lashes flickering on her cheeks. As he put the tray down, her eyes opened and she smiled. "Morning, love. Is that tea - mmm, thank you, just what I fancy."

She sat up in bed and let the duvet fall to her waist, revealing her body to Tom's eager eyes with a lack of self-consciousness that drove him totally crazy. "You can have it a bit later on…. something else I fancy first…" he murmured, sitting down on the bed next to her and gently pushing her back against the pillows. Sybil pretended to resist - "Tom - really? We've got my family thing today, and … oh well, twist my arm…" She giggled and put her arms around his neck - "Mmm, you are a bit overdressed with that towel around your waist - let's see what we can do about that…."

Tom rolled into the bed and cupped the back of her head in his hand as he started to kiss her, tangling his fingers in her hair - he just could not get enough of this girl. Even after last night ... he remembered how Sybil had gotten giggly and frisky after one too many glasses of champagne, leading to some very M-rated activities in the cab on the way back to his flat, which had continued in the stairwell until someone else coming up had meant they were almost caught in the act. Then, they could hardly wait to get through his front door to get started again…. Even after a night like that, he always, always wanted more of her. He still couldn't believe it sometimes when he woke up in the middle of the night and saw her sleeping next to him, which she did most nights these days.

* * *

By the time they left Tom's flat they were running late and delays on the Victoria line meant that everyone else was already there by the time they walked into The Wolseley for brunch. An impeccably dressed waiter showed them over to a table where all the Crawleys were sitting, and Sybil made the introductions -

"Tom, I'd like to introduce you to my parents, Robert and Cora, and my sister, Edith." Although he had known about Sybil's family background from the beginning, the fact that she lived purely on money she earned herself, and never used her title, made her a bit different from the rest of her family. This was particularly true of her father, who seemed to have a bad smell under his nose as he shook Tom's hand looking every inch the Earl of Grantham. Sybil's mother was much more welcoming - "Welcome Tom, so lovely to meet you! Do sit down." Tom sank gratefully into a seat next to Matthew and whispered out of the side of his mouth - "Glad to see one friendly face!" Matthew grinned - "Don't worry, old man - his bark is worse than his bite. Well, usually…."

Edith took a while to acknowledge their arrival as she was in the middle of a phone call. "Don't mind Edith - her ear is permanently welded to her Blackberry these days," sniped Mary. Sybil defended Edith - "Hey, don't be too hard on her. You know how seriously she takes her job!" "Yes, yes - Edith's fantastic career in New York, youngest VP at JP Morgan, blah blah blah. _Some_ people need to learn how to draw boundaries." "Now love, why don't you help me choose what to have - should I have the eggs Benedict, or the grilled kippers?" Matthew tried to distract her - somehow, Mary and Edith always managed to rub each other up the wrong way, with Sybil usually stuck in the middle trying to keep the peace, so she shot him a grateful look as Mary turned to look at the menu.

"Now - Tom, what is it you do again - I think Sybil said you were a writer?" "Yes, that's right - a journalist actually. I'm on the financial desk at _The Guardian_…." Tom turned towards Cora and they started talking quite happily as the orders were taken, which Sybil was pleased to see - "Bless you and your American charm, Mum," she thought. Mary pulled at her arm - "How are you - I hardly see you these days? Don't you have time for your sister any more?" "Well, Tom and I are spending a lot of time together and you know how it gets… ". Mary pouted at that, and Edith chimed in over her shoulder - "Sybil, he is really cute - well done you! I hadn't realised he was so young, though - turning into a cougar now, are we?" Although she was officially kidding, Edith's comment touched on one of Sybil's insecurities about her relationship with Tom, so she brushed it off quickly and changed the subject by asking Edith how things were going in New York - "Well, we're right in the middle of this huge deal with some investors from Abu Dhabi…"

When Sybil went to freshen up later on, her mother went with her and inadvertently hit the same nerve - "Tom seems like a delightful young man, darling. How old is he?" Sybil reluctantly answered - "22, Mum, not that it matters." "I'm sure it doesn't - as long as you are happy, that is all that matters to me." She squeezed her daughter's arm as they went back to the table, and Sybil appreciated the gesture of reassurance…. it seemed as if Tom had won her mother over, at least.

She went back to the table to rescue Tom from a slightly heated conversation with her father about the latest political scandal surrounding the government - "Well, Tom, I'm not sure that's fair - I went to school with Monty and I am sure there's a reasonable explanation for what happened. I would expect you chaps to give him a fair hearing…" "Dad, you know it's not polite to talk about politics at this hour of the day," Sybil teased him as she took her seat between them. Robert kissed her forehead - "Lovely to see you, Sybil - it's been too long since you've been home to Downton." "My home is here now, Dad, remember?" She felt Tom's arm slipping around her waist and leaned into him automatically, and as she turned away from her father she saw a frown of disapproval on his face.

"Let's get out of here, OK?" Tom was more than happy to oblige - doing the meet the family routine was not his idea of a fun Sunday, and as Sybil did the rounds, kissing everyone goodbye, he said to Matthew - "See you at football, right?" Matthew nodded and gave Tom a wry look - Mary and Edith were quietly arguing about something and Tom could see his friend would not be getting away for a while yet.

It was a beautiful day as Sybil and Tom wandered along Piccadilly, hand in hand - "All right?" "Yes fine," she said, but her eyes didn't quite match her smile. "Come on, Sybil - you can tell me the truth." Sybil sighed - "I wish my family wasn't so high maintenance - there's always some kind of squabble going on between my sisters, and Dad loves to get on his high horse about things. And they can be so narrow minded..." Tom tipped her face to his and gave her a kiss - "A stór, all families have their little quirks - you should see what my lot are like! Want to take a walk into Green Park?" Sybil nodded, and they turned into the park and found a sunny spot to sit down.

Tom tugged Sybil closer to him, and said - "I've got an idea - want to go away for a long weekend somewhere? You have been working so hard at the hospital lately and I'd like to spoil you." "Oh Tom - that sounds like complete heaven! Somewhere sunny, where I can lie on the beach and we can ravish each other as often as we like. Where shall we go?" Her saucy wink when she said that made Tom realise he has succeeded in lifting her spirits - "Let's talk about it later, Sybil - all that talk about ravishing has given me another idea." He lay back on the grass, pulling her with him. She leaned over him, blocking out the sun - "Darling, you read my mind!" Her lips closed on his and his arms tightened around her, and as they kissed in the sunshine he already felt as if they were on holiday. Then again, as he was starting to realise, every day he woke up with Sybil in his arms was already the best day he had ever had.

* * *

_A/N - _

"a stór" - "my darling" in Irish Gaelic, per Google Translate. Fair warning - next chapter likely to be M-rated, at least partly! There will be some plot too, though. :)


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's note -  
_

As always, thank you so much to everyone who has read/followed/reviewed/favourited the story so far! I love to hear from you.**  
**

OK, as I mentioned last time, this chapter is rated M for sexytimes. I've put them between the divides below in case that isn't your thing. There is a bit of plot too, but this is more of a reflective chapter, particularly for Sybil, as she and Tom head for a long weekend in the Algarve, on the south coast of Portugal...

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Lost weekend**

Sybil sometimes felt as if she had two lives since she met Tom. There was her outer life - work, family, friends - which also included dates with Tom where they went for a meal or for drinks, saw a movie or walked by the river, laughed and joked with each other and shared their hopes and dreams about their lives. Then, there was her secret, inner life, which she shared only with Tom and which was known only to the two of them, a life of shared glances, unexpected touches, desire that lay just below the surface, always ready to flare up and burn out of control. Before she met Tom, her sex life had been in a neat compartment of her life - doing it in a bed, with the lights off, once or twice a week with a boyfriend who rolled over and went to sleep afterwards. Now, the boundaries were blurred - this secret, inner life could escape at any moment, anywhere. It could happen in the middle of a crowded pub, when their eyes would meet and lock, and the rest of the world would disappear as they made excuses to leave early. It could happen walking down the street, when Sybil tripped and Tom caught her, and his intimate touch at her waist sent her senses reeling. It could happen at work, when she found herself drifting off into a daydream so hot she had to go outside and walk around the block to cool her heated blood.

As soon as she and Tom left for their long weekend in the Algarve, they both felt as if they were being given a time out from their outer life, freeing them to live their secret, inner life for the whole three days. On the plane, Tom leaned over to Sybil and, running his finger gently along her jawline to the hollow under her ear, whispered something that made her blush - "Maybe when we aren't going Easyjet, Tom! They'd be bound to come knocking on the door." When they arrived at the airport at Faro, they were hit by the warm sun, surprisingly strong for late April, and the glare temporarily blinded both of them as they headed to the shuttle bus for their hotel at Praia de Rocha, hand in hand. Sybil leaned her head on Tom's shoulder as they travelled along the coast, and the sun sparkling on the ocean gave her such a feeling of happiness she turned his face around to hers for a kiss, which he immediately deepened, pushing his tongue into her mouth and cupping the back of her head with his hand to pull her even closer. Sybil felt that ever present desire rising up in both of them so strongly that they could hardly wait to get to the hotel room before tearing off each others' clothes and falling onto the floor in a pool of sunlight - they didn't even make it to the bed…

Later on that evening, they wandered along to the marina for a meal and a few drinks - the evening light caught the dark red highlights in Sybil's long curls, and to Tom's eyes it made her look even more beautiful than usual. By the time they were onto their second drink at the taverna by the beach, Tom was pulling Sybil onto his lap and slipping his hand openly inside the neck of her dress to caress her soft skin as he kissed her. The owners smiled indulgently at the lovers - these warm climes were conducive to behaviour like this, they knew, especially for those from more northerly latitudes, although they did raise an eyebrow when they saw where Tom was putting his hands.

Later still, they walked back along the promenade to their hotel, stopping to look at the moonlight that was shining on the ocean like a ladder which those with an eye to see it could climb into the night sky. Sybil wrapped her arms around Tom's neck and as he leaned down to kiss her again, she said - "Tom, love, thank you for bringing me here to this beautiful place, it really is just what I needed." Tom whispered back - "A stór, I would do anything for you. Let's go home so I can show you." Sybil smiled and nodded - she was as eager as he was to continue their earlier activities….

* * *

They woke up the next morning and Sybil insisted on going to the beach. However, one look at her in her grey-blue halter neck bikini, that highlighted her beautiful curves in all the right places, and her long hair twisted up into a top knot with loose tendrils spiralling down her neck, and Tom pulled her straight back into bed with him - "Oh no you don't - I'm not going to let you go just yet." He took his time taking her swim suit off, slowly untying the straps and enjoying the chance to kiss every inch of skin as it was exposed, until by the time Sybil was naked she was aching for more of his touch. He began to move down her body, stopping for several minutes at her breasts, kissing and stroking them and sucking on her nipples until they were fully erect in his mouth. Then, he began dropping a trail of kisses down her stomach and running his hand slowly up her inner thigh. His lips travelled ever lower until they found her hot, wet core and his tongue began to tease her clit, flicking it back and forth to generate that friction he knew she adored. He heard her gasp and felt her hands come down to tangle themselves in his hair, pulling him further into her body and guiding him to where she wanted most to be touched by him. He slipped a finger inside her and began moving it in and out, slowly at first and then gradually increasing his speed as he added a second finger to the first and his tongue kept teasing her. He heard her moan "Oh GOD, Tom darling, YES, just there…" and he knew she wasn't far away. He held her at the apex for just a moment longer, knowing this would make her orgasm all the more intense when he finally let her tumble over the edge. Once he released her, she screamed his name and bucked her hips off the bed as she came, her hands clutching the sheets.

But he wasn't done with her yet. Moving up towards her, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her up on her hands and knees, into one of their favourite positions. Quickly rolling on a condom, he slipped his cock easily inside her and started to move. He felt her arse pushing back against his stomach as he pushed even deeper into her, loving how tight she felt from this angle. His hand slid around the top of her thigh and found her clit again, still swollen from her last orgasm, and as he began to stroke it gently he could see and feel her whole body trembling. His pace increased and it did not take long until he could feel he was almost at the point of oblivion, but he wanted her to come again before he would let himself go. "Sybil, do you know how good you feel to me, do you know what your beautiful body does to me, I'm crazy for you," he murmured. As he felt her start to tense and tighten around him, he kept steadily stroking her faster and faster, inside and out, his cock and his fingers working in perfect rhythm until she came completely undone, just as he had known she would. The force of her orgasm brought him to his as well, and they collapsed onto the bed together. Sybil rolled out from under Tom as he turned over, and he pulled her into his arms, running one hand up and down her back as he sought her lips for a long, deep kiss…

* * *

Eventually they did make it to the beach, and Sybil spent an hour or so lounging in the sun pretending to read a book but really just dozing behind her sunglasses. Tom loved swimming in the ocean so he bodysurfed for a while, and when he ran back he shook his dripping hair over her, making her giggle - "Tom, now I'm all wet!" He gave her a wicked grin - "You weren't complaining about that an hour ago!"

The rest of their weekend was pretty much like that - one or two more visits to the beach, another couple of dinners down at the marina, but the rest of the time they hardly left their room, completely lost in their secret, inner life where there was nothing but soft skin, warm mouths, teasing fingers and longing looks. They made love over and over again - on the bed, on the floor, in the small shower cubicle (with Tom trying not to overbalance as he held Sybil up against the wall and she wrapped her legs around his waist), and memorably outside on their balcony just as the sun was coming up….

When the time came for them to leave, both of them felt completely sated. Dreamy and smiling, with Tom's arm around Sybil's waist, they climbed back into the shuttle bus. When they were on the plane home again, Sybil pulled Tom's face to hers and kissed him for what felt like the millionth time that weekend, saying "Oh no, now we have to go back to our other life," and it was a measure of their closeness that Tom knew exactly what she meant. He put his arm around her shoulder and she snuggled into him, soon falling asleep. He loved to see her like that - as trusting and innocent as a child, with her long eyelashes fluttering on her cheeks. His love for her was so strong in these moments, he almost felt afraid, as if he was tempting fate by being so happy….

* * *

_A/N -_

"a stór" - "my darling" in Irish Gaelic, per Google Translate. Back to their outer life for the next chapter - Sybil and Gwen team up to throw a surprise birthday party for Tom...


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's note -  
_

As always, thank you so much to everyone who has read/followed/reviewed/favourited the story so far! I love to hear from you. Also, since alerts were not working for some people when I published the previous chapter (the long weekend in Portugal), you might want to go back a chapter to check it out if you missed it.**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 8 - The birthday party  
**

As Sybil came out of the Tube she checked her email and saw she had a new message:

_Hey Sybil – give me a call when you can. We thought we'd give Tom a surprise party for his birthday – want to help organise? Cheers, Gwen_

Sybil smiled – she had met Gwen quite a few times out with Tom and his friends and they always had a good time chatting. Since Gwen was a medical student, Sybil had been able to share a lot of her experiences as a young doctor already in the system, and a result they had become quite good friends, going out for drinks on their own a couple of times.

Sybil didn't have time to call her back till she had a quick cup of tea at about 11 – "Gwen? Hi, it's Sybil. Got your message – great idea! I'd love to help get things organised. What's the plan so far?

"Hiya, Sybil – thanks for calling back. What plan? Seriously, we haven't really done anything yet. You remember Tom's friends Jimmy and Thomas? They were the ones who suggested it, but then – typical boys, right? – they have done sod all since then apart from basking in the glory of their idea." They shared a giggle at that. Thomas and Jimmy were two of Tom's football mates – great guys but not exactly organised.

Sybil said - "It shouldn't be too hard, right? Choose a venue, invite people, organise music or whatever, maybe some nibbles – that's really all there is to it." Gwen made encouraging noises – "Yes, agreed. The venue is the hard bit – we want Central London because Tom's friends come from all over, but it's not easy finding something that's cool but also not going to break the bank. Any ideas?"

"Actually, yeah – I went to a party a while ago at a pub in Clerkenwell and it was really good - ever heard of the Blue Lion? You can have your own music, big but not too big, food if you want it – we had a great time. What date were we looking at?" "Well, Tom's birthday is on the Tuesday, so how about the Saturday after?"

"Sounds good – do you want to meet me at the pub tonight and check it out?" "Let's do it – Sybil, you rock! I hope Tom knows how lucky he is to have you. See you there at eight." Sybil was excited by the idea of helping organise Tom's party – it felt good to be clearly acknowledged as someone who mattered in his life, not just by him but by his friends.

* * *

Gwen loved the Blue Lion and they booked it on the spot. "I'll do all the invitations – I have everyone friended on Facebook so it should be pretty easy." Sybil thought for a minute – "Can I invite Mary and Matthew – you know, Matthew goes out with my sister and plays football with Tom too, and he introduced us?"

"Sure – of course. Why don't you just send them the invitation when it goes out? The one group I am not sure about is Tom's work crowd – he's good friends with quite a few of them I know, but I don't really know them." "Oh, I can take care of that too – I got on really well with Tom's boss at the awards night and he and I have connected on Facebook since then, so I can just get him to invite everyone."

"Nice one! Now the last thing to think about is, how to get Tom there? Sybil, I think you should look after that – is that cool?" "Yeah sure – leave that to me."

* * *

"Come on Tom, we have to get going…" "Mmm, five more minutes…" Tom held Sybil back, stopping her from getting out of the shower. His hand slid smoothly across her wet skin, tangling in the long hair falling down her back as their lips met in a kiss. Sybil found herself closing her eyes, with her hand cupping the back of Tom's head and her tongue teasing his bottom lip as she felt his other hand trailing up from her waist towards her breast...

"Famous last words – if we don't get out of here now, we never will." Sybil took Tom's hand and pulled him unwillingly out of the shower, and he pretended to sulk as he grabbed a towel and started drying his hair. Sybil was mesmerised for a minute, watching the water droplets roll down the muscles of Tom's arms and chest. She had to shake her head and start getting dry and dressed herself, or she knew they might not make it to the party at all.

Ten minutes later, they were in a cab, on their way to Clerkenwell. "Where are we going again?" "Oh, meeting Matthew and Mary for drinks – nearly there – driver, just down Gray's Inn Road please." The cab pulled up and they jumped out, hand in hand as they walked through the pub door. Sybil pretended to look around – "Let's try through that door over there…"

"Surprise!" Sybil had kept the secret well, and Tom really was surprised to see all his friends in the back room of the pub, and hear his favourite music already playing as someone pushed a pint into his hand. "Happy birthday, darling," whispered Sybil into his ear, and he turned towards her with a loving look – "Sybil, you are amazing – did you do all this?" "It was me and Gwen together… here she is!" Gwen came up smiling as she grabbed Sybil for a hug. "Come on, let's get a drink!"

* * *

Later that night, Tom was having a great time – as usual, he was the centre of a laughing crowd as he told some story about a reluctant source he was trying to charm for a story he was writing. Sybil was at the other end of the room, chatting with Matthew and Mary, when she spotted a familiar and unwelcome face making her way towards the group around Tom – she was almost sure it was Edna, the marketing girl from Tom's work, looking absolutely gorgeous in a casual, undone way in skinny jeans and off the shoulder black top, with a sparkly scarf around her neck.

Sybil watched her make her move, throwing her head back to laugh at Tom's joke and putting her hand on his arm. "If her hair was long enough, she'd be tossing it now for sure," fumed Sybil. While she knew how much Tom loved her and how much she meant to him – Tom showed her that every day they were together – she couldn't help feeling a bit insecure when faced with a rival as beautiful and young as this one, even though Tom didn't seem interested in her at all.

Gwen came over with another glass of wine in her hand. "It's going well, isn't it?" Sybil couldn't help herself – "Gwen, I hope you don't mind me asking – what do you know about Tom's exes before he met me? He told me he broke up with his last girlfriend nearly a year ago but I wasn't sure about before. Do you know if there was anyone serious before me?" Gwen looked at her with a friendly smile – "Sybil, one thing I know for sure is that Tom's absolutely crazy about you – I don't think he's ever been in love before the way he is now. As to what happened before – you should really ask him…" Sybil cajoled her – "Ah go on, please Gwen?"

Gwen relented – "Mmm, apparently there was someone back in Dublin before he moved here that ended badly, and I remember he dated a couple of people at college, nothing major though. Since he joined the paper there was that Lizzie girl – I think she must be the one he told you about. They are still mates, in fact she's here tonight." Sybil processed this – she hadn't known one of Tom's exes would be at the party!

"Really, she's here?" "Hey, don't worry – she is here with her new boyfriend – look, that's them over there." Based on what Sybil could see, the pretty dark-haired girl with her boyfriend's arms wrapped around her wasn't any threat to what she had with Tom and she felt herself relaxing a bit. "I know it's silly of me to feel this way – it's just that I only had two long relationships before this one, one at high school for a couple of years when I was 17, and then Larry at university - I dated him for a long time but it just fizzled out last year, and then I met Tom. I sometimes feel as if he knows more about this stuff than I do, even though I am older!" "Not that much older – he's 23 now, remember – only a five year difference, that's nothing!"

Sybil looked out at the dance floor – Tom and the rest of his football crowd were jumping up and down, messing around to The Fratellis' "Chelsea Dagger" and shouting the chorus – "Do, do do do, do do do, do do do do dooo!" Then, Bruno Mars' song "Just the Way you Are" came on and Tom instinctively looked around for Sybil – this song had been playing the night they met, and ever since then it had been their song. Their eyes locked across the room and they moved automatically towards each other.

As they met, Tom's arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her close, singing in her ear – "She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day…" and then pulling slightly back from her to look into her eyes. "Sybil, is tú mo ghrá – thanks for organising this! Although to be honest, as long as you were there, I would not care that much what we did tonight." His arms tightened around her and as they danced, they moved into a passionate kiss.

Mary looked on, smiling and fanning herself jokingly "Whew – I'd say get a room, but it's probably too late for that, right?" She was in a happy mood that night, having spent the evening showing off her newly acquired diamond ring to anyone within reach, since she and Matthew had gotten engaged recently. Matthew grinned – "It's great seeing them so happy – anyone can see how in love they are. Tom is quite boring sometimes on the subject of your sister, I'd say!"

Tom and Sybil came over, still wrapped around each other, and Tom leaned in to kiss Mary on the cheek – "Congratulations! Great news you and Matthew are getting married. You already know each others' families, don't you – one less thing to worry about. I just told Sybil my mum is coming to town next weekend from Dublin, so we will be rolling up for her inspection."

Sybil nodded - "I just hope she likes me!" Tom grinned - "Apart from the fact that no girl is ever good enough for her beloved Tommy …. no, I'm kidding! She will love you - how could she not? Let me get you another drink, love – the night is still young and I intend to get you tipsy and have my wicked way with you later!" The twinkle in Sybil's eyes at that cheeky remark told him everything he needed to know ... the feeling was definitely mutual...

* * *

_A/N -_

is tú mo ghrá = I love you in Irish Gaelic, per Google translate. Thank you to my friend angiemagz for the suggestion for Tom and Sybil's song!


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's note_

As always, thank you so much to everyone who has read/followed/reviewed/favourited the story so far! I love to hear from you.

This chapter is based on an M-rated ficlet I posted on Tumblr this week (the end of it is marked by a divide below), which was written especially to mark the birthday of my friend the Yankee Countess. A shout out to my friend angiemagz as well, who used her artistic talents to create the wonderful picture that accompanied the original story. As you can see, it has now been expanded into a full blown chapter and "gatecrashed" its way into the main story.

As you might expect, it is **rated M** - all sexy fun, not a lot of plot - so if that is not your thing, stay tuned for the next chapter update which is coming soon...

* * *

**Chapter 9 - Bath time**

Sybil pushed through her front door, exhausted after a double shift at the hospital. The lights were on so she knew she wasn't alone. "Tom, where are you?" No answer… then she saw it - a white flower petal on the floor near the front door, and a trail of them leading away towards the back of the flat.

Intrigued, Sybil followed the petals across the carpet - they led her to the bathroom door, which was shut. Opening the door, she smelt her favourite Jo Malone French Lime Blossom fragrance. What was going on? Coming into the room, she gasped when she saw what he had done for her - the bath was full of bubbles, chilled champagne was nearby and scented candles were burning, sending a gentle light across the room with their sweet, sharp scent. Best of all, Tom himself was in the tub already, reaching out to her - "Come on in my love, the water's fine…."

Sybil smiled - how did he keep doing this? Knowing exactly what she needed, whenever she needed it? She stepped out of her shoes and unzipped her dress, letting it fall to the floor. Tom grinned when he saw that she was wearing the lingerie set he had bought her the previous weekend. The white lace bra and knickers looked amazing on her beautiful curves and he longed to touch the silky fabric before tearing it off her.

Instead, he watched as she closed her eyes, biting her lip as she reached behind her to unclasp her bra, ever so casually. She let the straps fall slowly from her shoulders and made him wait until the whole thing fell to the floor, revealing her full, firm breasts to his hungry eyes. She raised her arms to pull the pins from her topknot and felt the tension in the room ratchet up several notches as her long, dark hair tumbled around her shoulders.

Still with her eyes closed, she took one step closer to the bath, slipping one finger under the waistband of her knickers. Tom groaned as he saw her slide her finger between her legs, moving it back and forth as she started to caress her clit - "Mmmmm…" she whispered. It was amazingly arousing to be doing this in front of Tom, pretending to be alone but knowing full well he was drinking in every second of what she was doing, and she felt herself getting wet in anticipation of what was to come.

She heard him growl - "Sybil, for fuck's sake, get over here now so I can ravish you!" Naughtily, she put her finger to her lips and started to lick her own juices. Then, taking her time, she pushed her knickers down her legs, bending over to put them on the ground and then standing up, arching her back luxuriantly as she ran her hands over her breasts, tweaking her nipples - "That feels so good… ". She heard an inarticulate sound break from Tom's throat and finally had mercy on him, opening her eyes - "Well hello Tom - what a surprise. See anything you like?" She winked at him, sashaying across the bathroom floor with a gentle sway of her hips perfectly calculated to drive him out of his mind with lust.

As she stepped into the tub, he sent a wave of water washing over the edge, barely letting her get in before he grabbed her and pulled her naked body towards him. His mouth came down on hers with a ferocity that bruised her lips and sent her mind spinning. His tongue immediately demanded entry into her mouth, caressing her teeth and tongue, as his hands ran all over her body under the water. They broke the kiss and he whispered - "You'll pay for that, girl!" Storm dark, his blue eyes locked onto her own, and Sybil's stomach tightened and turned over as she saw his expression and felt his hot breath on her face.

He pushed her shoulder so she was facing away from him, and his arms came around her waist, pulling her close, so she was between his legs. She could feel his erect cock pushing hard against her lower back as his hand slid down her stomach and headed towards her core. His fingers knew so well where they were going, and they moved unerringly towards her most sensitive spot. As he began to stroke and tease her clit with his thumb, sliding a finger inside her, his other hand played with her nipple in the same rhythm. His teeth nipped at a particular point at the base of her neck which he knew from previous hours of exploration of her body was a secret hotspot.

Sybil heard Tom's voice behind her, rough with desire - "Sybil, God, you are so fucking hot, I can never get enough of you…." - and she closed her eyes, leaning back into him to get as close as she could. A thought popped into her mind that made her smile - what would Mary think of some of the things she and Tom enjoyed doing? Imagine if she told her about the blindfold and handcuffs they used sometimes! As close as she was to her sister, since she had started seeing Tom she had learnt that there were some things that were just for the two of them, which made them all the more exciting.

She felt the intensity build within her, closing her eyes as Tom's lips ran up her throat to the soft spot just under her ear, another pleasure point that only he knew about. As she approached her peak, her heart racing and her breathing ragged, Tom murmured - "Come on Sybil, my darling, come for me". Sybil gave herself over to him utterly, letting all thoughts slide away as her body travelled along the fine edge of ecstasy, teetered on the brink, then tumbled into the void. Her climax came with such power she had to lift herself up, bucking towards his hand as her whole body sang with vibrations and flashes of light…"Oh Tom, TOM!"

Tom smiled - as he felt her come undone in his arms, he thought - "Get ready for a long night ahead, milady - that's just a taste of what I have planned for you!" He buried his face in her neck, tightening his arms around her and thinking about what was to come…

* * *

After plenty more talking, kissing and caressing and a couple more glorious orgasms for Sybil - Tom was determined to make it all about her - she sighed. They had finished the last of the champagne and the water (already topped up once) was definitely cooling after nearly an hour in the tub. "Tom, look at my fingertips, they are all wrinkly! Maybe we'd better get out?" She stood up and stepped onto the wet floor - "Oh dear, we did make a mess, didn't we!" She reached back with a cheeky smile and gave him her hand to help him out. They spent several minutes longer than they needed to towelling each other down, Tom murmuring - "Sybil, your breasts are absolutely soaking! Here, let me help you..."

They were both giggling a little, grinning at each other as they stumbled out of the bathroom, hand in hand and slightly tipsy. Since the bathroom was an ensuite, they were in Sybil's bedroom now, which looked beautiful. Sybil hadn't even noticed the white flower petals were scattered all over the bed too, and more candles (burning quite low) were arranged on the bedside tables. "Tom, darling, this is really wonderful - thank you so much for doing all this for me!" Serious for a moment, Tom looked into her eyes - "Love, you know I would do anything for you."

He put one hand on her cheek and gently pulled her face up to his for a kiss, which started out sweet and loving, but which did not take long to change into something darker and deeper. Tom's arm came around Sybil's back, bringing her body into contact with his all along its length, and his other hand tangled in her hair, still wet and dripping on the bedroom carpet. Sybil let out a moan, tightening her grip around his neck and closing her eyes as her tongue slipped past his lips. They pulled apart, and Sybil dropped her eyes - she had an idea.

Taking his hand again, she led him to the bed - "Lie down Tom, there's something I have been wanting to do all night...". Tom acquiesced willingly, stretching out on his back and throwing his arms above his head, letting Sybil appreciate his muscled chest and chiselled abs. She climbed onto the bed, settling herself astride his hips. Then, she leaned forward and started to plant soft, wet kisses on his chest, pausing to stroke his nipples with her tongue for a few minutes on the way to his ribcage, then heading towards his stomach.

Evidence of how much Tom was enjoying what Sybil was doing was already tapping on her chin as she moved further down his body, stroking his erect cock with her hands before taking it into her mouth. She knew how much he loved her doing this and she also knew that since she had started seeing him she loved doing it too. This was a change for her, since in her other relationships she had seen it as a bit of a chore, to be done once in a while almost as a favour. Now, she relished the chance to give him this much pleasure.

Her tongue slid along his length, lingering just below the head of his cock to tease a particular spot she knew drove him crazy. She began to move her head up and down, humming a little in the back of her throat. Letting him guide her pace at first as he grabbed the back of her head, showing her the rhythm he wanted, she then took control. He surrendered to her with a growl - "God, that is amazing!" Her hand slipped between his legs to cup and caress his balls, her head and tongue moving faster as she brought him even further into her mouth. She could feel he was almost ready - "Sybil, fuck, don't stop!" - and the next moment she felt his release and closed her eyes as she swallowed. She kept his cock between her lips for a few more minutes as he came down, then lifted her head, wiping her mouth and pushing her hair out of her eyes.

Tom pulled her up to him, murmuring - "You sexy witch, Sybil, what you do to me..." and started to kiss her, tasting himself on her lips as his hands caressed her and Sybil wriggled in his arms to get even closer. After a little while, Tom pushed her onto her back, and she could feel he was already erect again - sometimes, she had particular reasons to be happy about dating a guy who was younger than she was! He rose up on his elbows above her, rolling on a condom quickly and looking down at her with eyes hazy with desire. His lips crashed down on hers as he pushed himself inside her, loving the feeling of slick wetness all around him.

Both of them were in the mood for something quick and dirty this time - no loving words, no tender kisses, just raw passion flowing through both of them like a river. Sybil wrapped her legs around Tom's waist, while he positioned himself to stimulate her clit as he thrust into her hard and fast. She was still so aroused from his bath time attentions, his cock pushing against her core was more than enough for her. They raced together towards the explosion they both knew was coming, Tom bracing himself against the head of the bed to help him drive even deeper into her. Then, he threw his head back and let out a silent howl as he came, while she clung to him and buried her head in his chest. She was riding a wave that seemed to be endless, her core pulsing again and again, fiery sparks flying along every nerve in her body.

Tom fell on top of her and then rolled over, taking her with him and settling her head on his chest as his arms tightened around her, stroking her hair. "Tom, I love you so much, darling, I feel so lucky to be with you..." Hearing those words, Tom tilted her face up to his with his finger - "Sybil, are you kidding? I can't believe how lucky I am to wake up beside you nearly every day. All I want to do is show you how much I love you. Don't you know I spend every minute thinking about ways to make you happy?" Their lips met again and they held onto each other as tightly as they could. As far as they were concerned, nothing mattered except their love - as Tom had once said, the rest was detail.

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_A/N_ -

OK, yes I stole the last line, but then again this is one of the S/T fandom's all time favourite lines - what do you want from me! ;)

Back to the plot next time - as a reminder, Mrs Branson is coming to town...


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's note_

As always, thank you so much to everyone who has read/followed/reviewed/favourited the story so far! I love to hear from you - please do keep telling me what you think!

After the M-rated fun of the last chapter, back to the plot this time - a bit of angst for our lovely couple to deal with ...

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**Chapter 10 - Bump in the road**

Sybil came into the hall, winding her scarf around her neck – "Will I do?" Tom placed a kiss on her lips, leaning his forehead into hers for a moment before they went out the door and headed towards Upper St, hand in hand. Luckily Sybil lived pretty close to Islington Green and they were only a little late as they went into Browns for an early lunch. Tom looked around – was she here yet? – then smiled and waved. Sybil followed his gaze... "She is his mother? Why didn't Tom tell me?"

She turned to look at him, but Tom was already heading into the restaurant, making his way towards a table where an elegant blonde woman in her late 30s was already seated. As he approached, she stood up and threw her arms around him – "Tommy, mo buachaill, it's been too long!" She planted a kiss on his cheek, then leaned away from him a bit, smoothing his fringe out of his eyes with a maternal gesture. Tom smiled, then turned around, looking for Sybil – "Mam, this is my girlfriend, Sybil Crawley. Sybil, meet my mother, Catherine Branson."

Tom's mother looked at Sybil for the first time, and her eyebrows went up as she gave her the once over – clearly, Tom had been as forthcoming with his mother as he had been with his girlfriend! Sybil took a deep breath and moved forward, hand outstretched, her practiced Crawley charm standing her in good stead as she said brightly – "Mrs Branson, delighted to meet you." "Call me Kate, dear, everyone does!" was the slightly tart rejoinder as they took their seats. Small talk kicked into gear as Sybil asked what line of work Kate was in – "I run my own company – catering, events, that type of thing. Keeps me pretty busy I must say..."

They chatted some more about their respective jobs and Tom's recent birthday party as the waitress took their orders. Sybil felt Tom's hand slipping into her own under the table, giving hers a squeeze, which made her turn to him. She felt a bit better as she saw his loving look, but she also saw that Kate had intercepted the look too – nothing got past this woman, clearly! The food arrived and conversation subsided as they started to eat, although Sybil felt a lump in her throat which made it hard to swallow. Tom made short work of his fish pie, seemingly oblivious to the slight but unmistakable tension at the table. He headed off to find the bathroom, and Kate turned to Sybil with a smile that had a definite edge to it.

"Well dear, I have to say I am a bit surprised. Tommy didn't tell me you were older than him!" Sybil was taken aback by the blunt remark and responded in kind – "Yes, I am a few years older but that doesn't seem to matter to us." She went on to mention that she was surprised by Kate's age too, and listened while Kate explained that she had become pregnant with Tom when she was only 16, and had to drop out of school and work two jobs while her parents helped her look after him. "I met Tommy's stepfather when I was 25 - he has two younger stepsisters. Kevin adopted him – that's where he gets the name Branson." Most of this was news to Sybil – although she realised she had never heard Tom mention his father, which had led her to assume he wasn't a part of his life, she had heard the name Kevin once or twice when he was on the phone to his mother without knowing who Kevin was.

Kate pursed her lips, one finger to her chin – "I can see he loves you dear, and it's nothing personal – you seem charming. It's just that – well, I don't want my boy to lose his youth with you. I am so proud of him - so handsome, so smart and successful – and I want him to have all the things I never had when I was young. He should travel the world, enjoy his social life, date lots of pretty girls, not get tied down too soon as I was. If he is with someone your age, I can't see him having all the things I want for him. Think about it – are you really the right woman for my son? You will want to settle down and have children soon, won't you? Is that really fair on him?"

Sybil couldn't answer as Tom was coming back to the table. She tried to understand Kate's position – she had worked very hard all her life, creating her own success from nothing so she could take care of her children, and she wanted them to have a better life than she had had. But why couldn't that life include her, if that was what Tom wanted? She could feel the lump in her throat growing bigger, almost choking her, as she plastered on a bright smile for him, not wanting him to see how upset she was.

"That was miles away – downstairs and along the corridor – I think it was in Highbury!" joked Tom, his eyes moving from his mother to Sybil. What had been going on while he was away? Since he and Sybil had been together, he had become very sensitive to her moods, and he could tell something was wrong, but for once she hid her eyes from him, smiling just with her lips as she sipped an Earl Grey tea while he demolished the chocolate tart.

The rest of the lunch passed quickly, and it wasn't long before they were outside the restaurant, saying their goodbyes. Tom hugged his mother, promising to call her more often, and then Kate leaned in to kiss Sybil on the cheek. "Think about what I said, dear..." she whispered while Tom was looking away, trying to find a taxi. He ushered his mother inside, closing the door and giving it a thump on the roof as it drove away.

Tom turned to Sybil, concern showing clearly in his eyes, and reached out for her. "Is something wrong, love?" For the first time since they met, she felt as if she couldn't be honest with him – she could never forgive herself if she came between him and his mother. So she shrugged her shoulders – "I'm fine, just tired, that's all." He didn't believe her, but dropped it for now – it wouldn't be easy to have the kind of conversation he wanted to have with her in the middle of the street.

He tried a different tack, talking about some plans he and Matthew had made that week to go shopping for his wedding suit, and telling a funny story about the way that Mary was trying to decide what Matthew should wear, and how Matthew was resisting her. Sybil couldn't help smiling at that – her sister, the control freak! – and Tom was relieved to see he had broken through. He looked into her eyes – "Want to see a movie? The Great Gatsby is on at the Screen on the Green in half an hour, and I know you wanted to see that didn't you, you Leo fan!" "Don't pretend there isn't any eye candy for you in that one too, mister!" Sybil felt her mood lifting a little, tucking her arm into Tom's as they walked towards the cinema.

* * *

Sybil found herself wishing they hadn't seen that particular movie that day. Carey Mulligan looked particularly stunning as Daisy, and she couldn't help remembering that girl Edna from Tom's work who looked so much like her, and who was so clearly angling to win him over. Even though she had seen no evidence at all that Tom had any interest in her apart from as a colleague, coming on top of Kate's remarks she was feeling extra sensitive just now, thinking how Edna would be bound to win Kate's approval as she had failed to do.

She found herself picking a stupid fight over nothing, which led to her to walk off in a huff, thinking - "Snap out of it Sybil, for crying out loud! He's done nothing wrong – it's all you!" She heard Tom coming after her, and turned towards him as he grabbed her hand. "Sybil, what is wrong? For Christ's sake, tell me!" "Nothing, really – like I said, I'm just tired." Seeing she was close to tears, he pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her, whispering in her ear – "Sybil, love, please, tell me. You know you can tell me anything, right?" Sybil leaned her head on his shoulder and realised – "Who am I kidding? I can't keep this a secret from him – he knows me too well."

"Let's sit down for a minute, Tom." Sybil pulled him towards the nearby bus stop and they sat down on the bench. Hesitantly, and trying to be as diplomatic as she could, she told him about the conversation she had had with his mother while he had been away from the table. She held both his hands in hers, looking straight into his eyes, and not trying to hide the tear that fell down her cheek as she talked. As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a bit better – how insane was she, to think of keeping this from him!

Tom's first emotion on hearing this was compassion and care for the woman he loved so much, who was sitting opposite him looking so sad. He folded her into his arms, stroking her hair and murmuring – "A stór, I am so glad you told me about this. You know, don't you, that I'd pick you every time as the only one for me? I didn't mention your ages to each other as it just isn't something I ever think about - she is my mother, and you are the woman I love. Whatever Mam said, just try to forget about it – I promise you, it makes no difference at all to me."

Then, he flipped into anger at his mother – how could she DARE to say something like that? He had to admit this wasn't the first time she had tried to control his life but – hell! – he was an adult capable of making his own decisions! As far as Sybil was concerned, he had decided he wanted to be with her almost the moment he met her and his mother just had to accept that. In fact, there was another decision involving Sybil that he had come to in the last few weeks and he had been trying to find the right time to speak with her about it, but he had fallen into the trap of waiting for the "perfect" moment and somehow it never came. In the end he had decided to create his own perfect moment and, as it turned out, he had planned it for that day. Now seemed like the right time to plant the seed...

"I know – how about a glass of champagne, somewhere nice?" Sybil's heart lifted - as usual with Tom, all his thoughts were for her happiness, which she appreciated so much at a moment like this. She lifted her head and grinned at him – "Darling, that sounds lovely! Let me just go home first so I can put on something glam." He stood up, pulling on their linked hands to bring her with him – the bus that went past her door was just approaching the stop. They flashed their Oyster cards and found a seat. Tom then put his arm around Sybil, turning her face to his for a kiss and whispering to her all the way home, those sweet little nothings between lovers that mean so much.

* * *

The cab turned off London Wall and headed towards one of the tallest buildings in the City. Sybil looked up – were they going where she thought they were going? They pulled up at the curb and Tom jumped out first, leaning back in to give Sybil his hand and help her out. She stepped onto the footpath, tossing her hair back out of her eyes as they headed towards a location Sybil had always wanted to visit – Vertigo, the bar on top of what used to be known as the Natwest Tower and which was now called simply Tower 42.

The express lift whisked them up to the bar. The concierge welcomed them in and ushered them to a long leather couch by the window, where champagne on ice and a china bowl of Sybil's favourite strawberries were already waiting on the table. Sybil marvelled at the incredible views of the City of London below, street lights just starting to wink through the early evening like fireflies. She sank back into the couch as Tom poured them two glasses of champagne and, as he turned back to her, she took his hand. Lifting it to her lips as their fingers linked, she kissed the back of it. Then, she turned his hand over, putting a lingering kiss into his palm and briefly sliding the tip of his forefinger into her mouth as she quirked an eyebrow at him. "I wonder if we could join the mile high club here – it feels high enough, doesn't it!" she joked.

They clinked glasses, looking into each others' eyes, and as Sybil bit into a strawberry Tom reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a long velvet box. Sybil opened it to find a beautiful vintage bracelet, turquoise and silver, which she had admired in the window of a shop in Camden Passage a few weeks ago - Tom had sneaked back there a few days later to buy it for her. "Tom, you remembered! It's just gorgeous, thank you darling!" - putting it on, she leaned in to kiss him and he could taste the sweet fruit on her lips - "Mmm, you taste so good". He tightened his arm around her with conflicting feelings as they sipped their second glasses of champagne - really happy she liked her present so much, but also really nervous about what he was about to say. It was so big, so important, and it was something he hadn't ever said before.

He raked his hand back through his hair - "Sybil – do you know how much I love you? These last few months since I met you have been the happiest of my life and I realised a while ago that I want to be even closer to you. I want to wake up with you every day and go to sleep with you every night. I don't want to keep running back and forth between our places any more - I think we should have our own place. How would you feel about us living together?" He held his breath, waiting for her answer – swapping keys was one thing, but how would she feel about this?

Sybil's first thought on hearing Tom's words was how perfect they were after what had happened with his mother today. She realised that there was nothing she wanted more than to live with him, and to deepen still further the sharing of their lives and hearts which were already so closely entwined. By way of answer, she lifted herself up, sitting on his lap - "Tom, darling, I would love that! I would love for us to live together." Hearing her words, a huge grin broke out across Tom's face. All his dreams for his future happiness were bound up in Sybil now, and he couldn't wait to take this next step with her. He tightened his arms around her to bring her in for a kiss, which quickly deepened.

It didn't take long before they started to exchange the kinds of caresses that were usually best kept for a location away from prying eyes. Eventually, a waiter came up to them and tapped on Tom's shoulder – "Congratulations on whatever it is, but if you two cherubs want to keep doing that, I suggest you take it somewhere else!" They broke the kiss and grinned at each other - Tom's eyes were sparkling as he leaned into Sybil's ear, his suggestion making her blush. Somehow, at that moment, this lovely place didn't offer them quite the ambience they were after..."Can we have the bill, please?"

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_A/N - _

"mo buachaill" = my boy, "a stór" = my darling in Irish Gaelic, per Google translate.


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's note_

As always, thank you so much to everyone who has read/followed/reviewed/favourited the story so far! I really love to hear from you - please do keep telling me what you think!

Apologies it has been a little while since my last update. I've got most of the rest of this story plotted out now, so chapters should flow more frequently from now on.

Letting you know I have officially changed the rating of this entire story overall to M - that seems to be the way this story is going now (including this chapter). Hope that is OK with everyone! Here, our lovely couple are out flathunting for a place of their own...

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**Chapter 11 - The next level  
**

Tom felt Sybil's hand sliding into his, and looked at her – he could see her eyes sparkling and a smile spreading across her beautiful face. "This is it!" she mouthed to him, before turning her attention back to what the real estate agent was saying.

They'd been looking at places for only a couple of weeks but they both felt they'd found "their" place with this one – a two bedroom flat on the top floor, just near Highbury Corner, with high ceilings and a feeling of light and space that made them both feel instantly at home.

She was pulling a pen out of her handbag – the rental market in London being what it was, she knew they'd need to act fast to get a place like this. "Can we fill in our application right now – we are definitely interested. Would it help if we gave you a cheque for the deposit?" The estate agent didn't take long to succumb to her charm, promising with a wink to call her no later than the following evening with the result of their application.

Sybil wrapped her arms around Tom as soon as they got down to the street and kissed him soundly – "Oh darling, I have such a good feeling about this place!" He tried to remain the calm and rational one, but looking at her face he knew he was as thrilled as she was to have found this flat – and he was so glad his mother's attitude hadn't frightened her away! He had had it out with Kate the day after the fateful lunch at Browns, and since then (to give her due credit) his mother had been trying to be more accepting of Sybil, on the basis that she was the woman her beloved son wanted to share his life with...

He tightened his arms around her and the playful kiss quickly became passionate. His tongue teased at her lips and as it pushed its way in, she sighed his name into his mouth – "Oh, Tom!" A couple of cars travelling down Upper Street honked at them as they embraced, and her face was flushed as they eventually broke apart. She looked at him under her eyelashes – "Mmmm... what shall we do now? I'm feeling a bit tired, actually, after all our flathunting – shall we go back to mine for a rest?" She mimed an elaborate pantomime of yawning and stretching, being sure to send a cheeky wink his way as she arched her back, and he quickly flagged down a cab – "Oh yes, I think I need to spend some time in bed, too..."

The journey to Sybil's little flat didn't take long. The taxi driver looked in the rear view mirror and coughed once, then again – "Oi, you getting out or what?" They pulled apart and Tom fumbled for his wallet as Sybil got out. She opened the front door and looked back over her shoulder at him, tossing her hair – "Don't be long!" – as she headed upstairs. He gave the driver a big tip, mainly because he couldn't wait for his change, and charged up the stairs behind her.

He grabbed her from behind as they fell into the flat, and turned her around to push her up against the door – "Sybil, Christ, I want you so much..." She pulled him in to continue their kiss from the cab while he fumbled with the buttons of her shirt, pushing it off her shoulders. The rest of their clothes quickly followed as Tom lifted Sybil up, grabbing her firm arse as she wrapped her legs around his waist. His cock was aching for her as he slid inside her – she was already wet for him as they started to move together, moves well practised by now but always exciting and new.

Sybil urged him on, biting his earlobe – "Tom, please, fuck me, I want you to fuck me so hard..." – and he increased his pace, thrusting into her harder each time as her arms tightened around him, her nails digging into his back. Her eyes were screwed shut and she was biting her lip as she approached her peak, and Tom could anticipate the exact second she would come from the expression on her face and the way her whole body started to convulse around him – "Oh God...Tom!" Her head collapsed on his shoulder, and as his own orgasm made his knees weak, he just managed to hold them up...

* * *

The following evening, Sybil used her key to let herself in at Tom's place after her shift at the hospital - they were making dinner for Tom's flatmate William and his fiancée Daisy. On the face of it, the two men were totally different – Tom an extroverted, expansive journalist, William a sober, sensible accountant, working for one of the big audit firms. However, the two had met in their first few weeks of college and their friendship was unshakeable. Sybil really liked him too – while Tom's football mates were a lot of fun for a night out on the beers, William could be counted on for a real conversation. Daisy was good value too – an up and coming young chef at a London restaurant, she had as hectic a schedule as Sybil herself did, but was always game for fun outside work, and it was sweet to see how much she and William loved each other.

Sybil headed for the kitchen, and stopped short when she saw Tom. He was standing at the stove, stirring something – so far, so normal, as he was a really good cook and he enjoyed making meals for them both, more than she did (she was more of a scrambled eggs or beans on toast for dinner girl, particularly when she got home from a gruelling day at work). However, what she did not expect was to see him totally naked, apart from an apron! She took her time coming up quietly behind him, looking at his arse (something she never tired of doing), before picking up a tea towel and swatting him.

"Hey!" he protested. He turned around to her with a grin on his face that instantly melted her heart, reminding her (as if she needed it) that she didn't just desire this man enough to drive her crazy, she loved him so much her heart was swollen with it. He stepped towards her, quickly bridging the gap between them. He slipped his arms around her waist, taking a minute to savour the wonderful feeling of holding her and knowing how much he adored her, before pulling her face to his for a kiss.

Given Tom's state of undress, their kiss quickly became heated. Before too many minutes had gone by, Sybil was face down on the island in the middle of the kitchen, on tiptoes with her dress hitched up around her waist as Tom pulled the apron off and pushed her knickers aside. _I have to admit, going on the pill has made our sex life more spontaneous! _she thought, moaning as he started to tease her clit expertly, knowing just how to touch her. Her eyes rolled back in her head as he moved over her, leaning into her ear and whispering – "You like that, do you? Do you want some more?"

She was beyond speech at this point, so she nodded her head as intense sensations built in her core and spread outwards through her whole body. Just when her orgasm crashed through her like an express train, her whole body screaming in ecstasy, she felt him thrust into her, loving the feeling of him being so deeply inside her. He drove into her, again and again, and it didn't take long until he felt himself coming so intensely he thought he might black out. As he collapsed onto her, he heard something...

"Hey mate – what's the main course?" William was standing in the door of the kitchen, one hand holding Daisy's while the other grasped a plastic bag holding a bottle of red wine. He had a smile on his face as he looked at Tom and Sybil – this wasn't the first time he'd caught them having sex ...

"Oh bollocks – William, what the feck are you doing here? You weren't meant to be back till half eight!"

"Daisy's shift finished early today, so we came back to help with the cooking," Tom exchanged grins with his friend before leaving the kitchen to go and find some clothes.

Sybil's face was bright red as she jumped off the island and scrambled to make herself decent – _Daisy is here too!_ – as she tried to calm herself. "Anyone for a drink?"

"Probably just as well you two are getting your own place, Sybil – you can shag anywhere and anytime you want, with no-one to interrupt." William winked as he reached for a corkscrew. In the meantime, Daisy (who had been silent all this time) said – "Um, do you need any help with the cooking?"

The meal Tom had made didn't take long to complete. They had a great evening, sitting round the table and talking, enjoying beef fillets with tomato and aubergine salsa, green salad and crusty bread. Sybil was a bit on edge, waiting for the call from the estate agent to come through, and when at last her phone rang, she mouthed – "Sorry!" – and left the table to take the call. She was deadpan as she listened and replied, and then walked slowly back to the table as she hung up her phone. She came around to Tom's side –

"Tom, I heard about the flat... we got it! We can drop round a cheque tomorrow for the deposit and to sign the lease!" The radiant excitement in her face was clear and Tom felt his love for her overwhelm him again – he still couldn't believe that this amazing, beautiful woman loved him enough to want to live with him, and he pulled her down onto his lap, wrapping one arm around her to bring her in close.

"A stór, that is brilliant! I can't wait for us to live together..." He put one finger under her chin, tipping her face up to his. He had such naked love and longing written all over his face that Sybil felt a tear fall down her cheek. "I know, sweetheart, I can't wait either, I am so happy thinking about it..."

As Tom and Sybil stared into each others' eyes for a long moment, William found himself feeling uncomfortable, as if he were witnessing something that was too personal to be seen by other eyes. And this despite the fact that he had seen them having sex in the kitchen only an hour or so before! He couldn't say why, but somehow this very visible demonstration of how deeply the two were in love felt even more intimate to him than walking in on them having sex, as wild and passionate as that had been.

He turned to Daisy – "Love, shall we leave them to it? Let's pop to the pub for last orders, and then I'll take you home." Daisy nodded – she was quiet and thoughtful as well and, as so often, he could see she was feeling just the same way he did, and he took her hand and squeezed it as they walked out. Sybil and Tom were kissing by then, Sybil astride Tom's lap, his hand tangling in her hair, so lost in each other they didn't even notice the door close...

* * *

_A/N - _

"a stór" - "my darling" in Irish Gaelic, per Google Translate. As always, I would love to hear what you think!


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's note_

As always, thank you so much to everyone who has read/followed/reviewed/favourited the story so far! I really love to hear from you - please do keep telling me what you think, it really inspires me! Dedicating this chapter to the lovely Angiemagz - a wonderful artist and friend.

This is a bit of a reflective chapter for Tom – harking back to the feel of their long weekend in Portugal a couple of months before. I wanted to get inside his head as he and Sybil start to live together, to see their experiences through his eyes and give an idea how he is feeling as their love and intimacy grow in this new phase of their relationship. I drew some inspiration from a song by one of my favourite bands from the 90s when writing this:

_"You should have been an angel, it would have suited you_  
_My gold-leafed, triptych angel, she knows just what to do_  
_In the half light of morning, in our world between the sheets_  
_I swear I saw her angel wing, my vision was complete_  
_And I know I'll never want another lover, my sweet_  
_Can there be more in this world than the joy of just watching you sleep?"_

From "Tightrope", The Stone Roses

* * *

**Chapter 12 - Tom's reflections**

Tom lay back in bed, dressed in navy boxer shorts, arms folded behind his head. He watched the dawn light stream into their bedroom, waiting for the sound of the key in the lock. Now that he had been living with Sybil for a couple of weeks, he had started to appreciate (more than when they had only been dating) what the life of a doctor was really like. Her normal working week was around 65 hours, including the night shift one week in four, which was where she was now. He knew how passionate she was about her work and he loved how she tried so hard every day, expending her energy and experience to do everything she could to help the cancer patients she cared for, many of whom were very ill. He loved his job too, but he could see that his own work life was a walk in the park in comparison to hers – normally out the door by 6.30 or 7 pm, with the occasional late night and some weekend research when he was working on a big article, but that was about it.

The night before, he had been out with the football boys, who regularly met up for drinks during the off season. The evening out had helped him realise (again) that his priorities had changed since he had been with Sybil. Before, when he was single, he thought nothing of kicking onto a club once the pubs closed and staying out all night, staggering into work once a week or so with red eyes and a hangover that he normally fought off with a double espresso and a bacon sandwich, counting on his youth to help him bounce back. Now that he had her in his life, he preferred to be with her, as much as he could. Last night had brought that change into sharp relief for him – while he had been queuing at the bar to get a round in, he found himself drifting off, thinking about the little intimate moments he loved so much from the domestic life they now shared ...

_Sybil leaning into the bathroom mirror, her mouth slightly open, concentrating as she applied her mascara ..._

_Sybil falling asleep on the couch on a Sunday afternoon, the medical journal she had been reading falling unheeded from her fingers as he covered her with a rug..._

___Sybil making tea and toast for them, singing a Robbie Williams song as she warmed the pot –"And through it all she offers me protection, A lot of love and affection, Whether I'm right or wrong"...  
_

_Sybil snuggling up with him as they watched Mr Selfridge, feeling himself smiling as he listened to her fangirling over Henri Leclair..._

_Sybil exhausted after a double shift, happily accepting his offer to brush her long hair for her because she was too tired to do it herself..._

_Sybil stretching in the living room when she got home from her yoga class with Mary, her skin glowing as she reached for the ceiling and then bent at the waist to touch the floor..._

_Sybil on Facetime just before he went to bed the night before, blowing him a kiss goodnight and saying how much she loved him..._

When he turned down the chance to go clubbing, saying he needed to get home, Jimmy mocked him by pushing the ball of his thumb into the palm of his hand, while Thomas made the whipcrack sound. "She's got you just where she wants you, mate!" Tom grinned and waved them off for a wild night out, happy to leave them to it. He wanted to get some sleep before Sybil finished her shift the next morning, so he could be awake when she got back and make her breakfast before going to work himself. _The boys have got it right, in a way – she does have me where she wants me, but it's where I want to be too – putting her first, always, and being there for her whenever I can, because she is the most important thing in my life - nothing matters more than loving her and making her happy...  
_

And then there was their sex life... while it had been amazing since the night they met at the Crown last Christmas, somehow since they moved in together it had moved up to a whole other level he had never imagined, let alone experienced before. The secret, inner life he had shared with her since their earliest days together had somehow expanded and deepened so much that, as soon as he came in the front door of their flat, after work or a night out, he felt the chemistry between them almost as a tangible presence there.

He noticed so many things – her favourite perfume lingering in the air, the book she was reading lying on the table, her scarf thrown over the arm of the couch, the apples she loved ripening in the fruit bowl... all the little signs of her around the place that filled him with such a profound sense of connection to her. If he came home and she wasn't there too, he could hardly wait for her to return so that they could resume their endless dance of love and desire, felt and satisfied, over and over again.

He supposed that a time might come when they didn't made love two or three times a day, all over the flat, sometimes more on their days off and often in the middle of the night after one of them had woken the other up – but he hoped that time was a long, long way in the future. Lying in their bed, he smiled as he remembered the day they had moved into their flat...

* * *

It had been hot for early summer, and getting all their things up three flights of steep stairs had been hard work for Tom, who was getting some much needed help from Matthew and William. He had worked up quite a sweat, carrying the couch up the stairs, and the bed had been even heavier. He noticed Sybil, going up and down the stairs with their boxes, giving him little glances through her long eyelashes as they met on the landing, and it did not take him long to realise that she found him extremely desirable with his shirt off, sweat gleaming on his well muscled frame and his hair tousled from his exertions. Once they had everything inside, she invited the others in for a thank you beer, but as he met her gaze for the third time in as many minutes he realised she was as eager as he was to start "christening" their new home.

The boys headed off before long and as Tom closed the front door he felt Sybil close behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his neck – "God, Tom, you smell so good..." He felt her hands sliding up to caress his chest, her fingers tangling in the dark hair she found there and pulling it gently, while her soft lips moved across his shoulders, tasting his skin. Despite his several hours of hard work that day, his body responded immediately to her touch and he turned around, pulling her face to his and kissing her fiercely. He heard her moan into his mouth, which only sharpened his desire, and his hands slid across her stomach as he lifted her t-shirt over her head. Looking at her, clad only in a lace bra and cut off denim shorts, her hair pulled into a messy topknot, he thought he had never seen her look more beautiful, and he told her so.

By way of answer, she undid her bra, holding it for a moment then dropping it as she slowly revealed her breasts to him, knowing full well how much he loved them. His eyes drank her in before he swept her up in his arms and they fell together to the bare floorboards. Desperate for each other now, knowing this was no time for lengthy caresses, they quickly wriggled free of their remaining clothes. His hand went straight to her core and he could feel she was already soaking wet for him. She pushed him onto his back and positioned herself on his cock, driving down on top of him so hard he was quickly buried in her, up to the hilt. The cool, harsh light streaming from the uncovered light bulbs left by the last tenant hit her naked body, highlighting her beautiful curves and throwing her silhouette against the bare white walls, meaning that he could see her twice, in light and in shadow, making her doubly alluring.

Tom's hands grasped her hips and he felt his eyes roll back in his head for a moment as Sybil started to move above him. Her breath became ragged, and her breasts rose and fell unevenly as her excitement rose. He could feel himself racing towards oblivion already and tried to hold back, determined to focus all his attention on her first, and as she bit her lip, he knew she was getting close. He knew just how she wanted him to touch her now and as he slid his hand between them, finding her clit and starting to stroke it, he heard her let out a gasping cry – "Oh God, yes, yes, that's it!" He watched as her hand came up to touch her own breast, feeling the nipple between her fingers and starting to tease it as she closed her eyes and dropped her head back, and he felt himself letting out a deep, rough groan as he watched her – _She is so incredibly hot!_

She started to move faster as she approached her peak, a tear falling from her closed eyes as she chanted his name, over and over - "Oh Tom, oh Tom!" She strained upwards as if reaching for release, her arms above her head, and he felt her whole body contract and vibrate around him as she came, so hard he could not control himself any more and let out a shout as his own orgasm raced through him. He knew from experience that she wasn't done yet, and kept his fingers moving on her clit through the aftershocks. Finally, she collapsed on top of him, letting his cock slowly slide out of her as his arms came around her and pulled her close. She moved into his body and they came together into a kiss that quickly deepened, her tongue pushing into his mouth and duelling with his...

After a while, Sybil broke their kiss and pushed her tangled hair back from her face, grinning. "Welcome to North London, Mr Branson! Now, if you'd care to inspect the bathroom, I can show you just how well the shower works..." She stood up and stretched luxuriously, walking away from Tom and stopping to wink cheekily over her shoulder, swaying her hips in a way that made his mouth water. He stood up and ran to follow her, catching her and lifting her up in his arms to carry her into the bathroom - time to christen the next room ...

* * *

Tom was thinking about Matthew and Mary's engagement party which they were going to in a couple of weeks - Matthew had been telling one of his wryly humorous stories the night before about Mary getting into control freak mode as she planned the elaborate event - when he heard the key turn in the lock at last, and he got out of bed to go and welcome Sybil home. He was shocked to see tears on her face, and her eyes looked so sad his arms went around her immediately. He just stood with her for a while, stroking her back as she cried in his arms – "A stór, it's all right, everything is going to be all right, I promise ..."

Finally, she was able to lift her face to his, and he put his finger under her chin as he dropped a gentle kiss on her lips. "Here, sweetheart, let me get you some water – come and sit down." He took her hand and led her over to the couch, quickly filling a glass with water and grabbing the box of tissues on his way back to her. He wrapped both arms around her, pulling her onto his lap as she wiped her eyes, her breath gradually returning to normal as the storm of crying passed. He had never seen her like this before and he was worried something terrible had happened - "Sybil, what's wrong? What can I do?"

She heaved a sigh and started to talk, telling him that after a long, difficult operation the day before on a 12 year old boy, she and all the rest of the staff had thought he was going to make it, and she had told his parents that there was reason to hope. Then, totally unexpectedly, his heart had stopped early that morning. She and the rest of the team had worked over him for more than an hour, trying to get it started again, but without success. She told him that she had been caring for this boy for more than a year, ever since his last remission had ended, and she started crying again as she told him what a great kid he was, so full of life and humour, and what a tragedy it was that he had died so suddenly and so young.

When he heard that the boy's parents had compounded Sybil's misery by lashing out at her, blaming her for giving them hope which they felt made their loss all the more painful when it came, Tom felt his heart swell up in his chest ... _Didn't these people realise how amazing she was – how much she cared, how hard she fought for all her patients, how she strove every day to be the best doctor she could be?_ His arms tightened around her and he tucked her head under his chin, rocking her like a child as he tried to give her some comfort, feeling a tear in his own eye and realising he would gladly cut off his right hand if it meant sparing her this pain.

"Sybil, oh my love, my beautiful girl, don't cry, please don't cry. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere..."

She lifted her tear-streaked face to him, a watery smile breaking out across her face. "Tom, darling, I love you so much. Thank God you're here, I don't know how I could cope without you..."

"As far as I am concerned, Sybil, you won't ever have to cope without me again..."

She put her arms around his neck, finding his lips with hers. Tom felt his love for Sybil so strongly at that moment, he felt as if he might overflow with it. As he kissed her, pulling her close to his heart, he wondered what he had done to be lucky enough to have a wonderful woman like her in his life, and he sent a silent prayer up to the gods that he wouldn't do anything to mess this up, this amazing love that filled his heart and soul to the brim and which was the best thing that had ever happened to him...

* * *

_A/N - _

"a stór" - "my darling" in Irish Gaelic, per Google Translate. As always, I would love to hear what you think!

Next time – get ready for the STEAMM festival on Tumblr on 15 September, which celebrates the happiness of all the Crawley sisters and the men they love. Sybil and Tom are off to Mary and Matthew's engagement party at Downton Abbey, which has an Edwardian theme. Edith brings along an unexpected guest, and Tom makes an interesting choice for his costume...


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's note_

As always, thank you so much to everyone who has read/followed/reviewed/favourited the story so far! I really love to hear from you - please do keep telling me what you think, it really inspires me!

This chapter sets up an extended STEAMM arc for this story, a festival on Tumblr celebrating all three Crawley sisters and the men they love. This time, we focus on Sybil and Tom, as they travel to Downton Abbey for Mary and Matthew's engagement party and share some memories …

I am dedicating this chapter to my friend mimijag, a fellow S/T shipper/author, who is celebrating her birthday today. Bonne anniversaire, mon amie!

* * *

**Chapter 13 - Back to the old house**

Sybil waved towards a large, expensive car as they came out of Downton station. "Look, Papa sent the car for us - that will make things a bit easier!"

Tom started to feel uneasy at the open display of privilege that was starting to unfurl before him. While Sybil was completely down to earth in their day to day life, so much so that he was barely aware of her background as an earl's daughter, he could already see that the world of "Lady Sybil" was going to make him, a working class Irishman made good, quite uncomfortable. He decided to grin and bear it, for her sake - after all, no-one can choose their family! - and he was looking forward to understanding more about where she came from.

He was also a little nervous about meeting her parents again, particularly her father who had not been very welcoming the first time they met. Sybil had told Lord and Lady Grantham that she and Tom had moved in together already, so there would be no surprises on that score at least, but he did wonder how he'd be received by them on this visit.

A grey haired man in a plain dark suit stepped towards them, opening the door of the car –

"Welcome home, Lady Sybil. Please allow me."

She smiled at him and handed over her bags - "Thank you, Taylor. This is my boyfriend, Tom Branson."

Taylor nodded - "May I take your bag, Mr Branson?"

Tom handed over his bag wordlessly - at this stage, the path of least resistance seemed simplest. They slid into the back seat of the shining Rolls Royce, Sybil taking his hand and lifting it to her lips, eyes shining as she kissed his knuckles. He could see she was excited to be back in Yorkshire and started to relax, knowing he was there because she wanted him to be.

As the car purred through the village, she got quite animated, pointing out the landmarks along the way. Although she had been away at boarding school for much of her childhood, she clearly felt a great sense of attachment to this place, showing him the village church, the cottage hospital and the local pub.

"So tell me again - who I am going to meet tonight?"

"Well, let's see. I don't know everyone, but I think Evelyn Napier is coming, he's an old family friend. Grandmama and Aunt Rosamund will be there, I'm sure - they wouldn't miss a family party!"

"And how about Edith? Is she flying in?"

She smiled - "I hear she's met a new man - Anthony something - so she will be bringing him, I'm sure. Nice to think of her with someone - she has been such a workaholic the last few years, she just hasn't made much time for her personal life."

Taylor turned the car between two tall stone pillars, and entered into what seemed to be a private estate. From the way Sybil was looking around eagerly, Tom thought they must be getting close…

"Look, darling - you can see it now – there's Downton Abbey!"

He was struck dumb as they came round a bend in the drive and he caught his first glimpse of Sybil's magnificent childhood home. For the first time, he got a sense of the background she had striven to get away from, working hard to make her own way in the world and not relaxing into the easy life of the monied upper classes, as she could easily have done if she had been a different person. _It's a fecking palace! I'm surprised her father isn't standing outside with a shotgun to see me off the premises._

The car pulled up outside the front of the house and Taylor came around to open the door. An older man, tall and perfectly turned out, headed towards them as they stepped down onto the driveway.

"Carson - lovely to see you again!" Sybil extended both her hands in a friendly greeting, looking at him as if he were a favourite uncle. She turned towards Tom - "Tom, this is Carson - he's been with our family since before I was born. Carson, this is Tom Branson, my boyfriend."

"Welcome home, Lady Sybil, and my pleasure to meet you, Mr Branson. His Lordship and her Ladyship are waiting for you in the drawing room. I'll arrange to take care of your bags."

"Carson, thank you, that would be very kind." Sybil gave him another smile, taking Tom's hand as they walked through the massive double doors and into the house. "The drawing room is this way."

Tom couldn't help pausing as they crossed the entrance foyer - the imposing main staircase looked like something from an architectural history book, while the walls were well stocked with Old Masters that would not be out of place in a minor museum collection. He felt the weight of all those Earls of Grantham on his shoulders, silently making him feel that he wasn't welcome, and would never belong here, and unconsciously squared his shoulders. _Sybil chose to be with me, so her family can take a flying leap if they don't like it!_

She pushed open the door of the drawing room. Her mother was reading on the couch while her father stood behind her, stroking the ears of a golden Labrador. His rather stern face broke into a smile as he saw them - "Sybil - good to have you home. We didn't expect you so soon."

In the meantime, Cora got to her feet, walking quickly towards them and pulling her daughter into her arms - "Darling! I'm so glad you're here - it's been too long." She pressed a kiss onto Sybil's forehead, looking at her fondly, before turning her attention to Tom. He was a little surprised, but not unpleasantly so, when she offered him a similar welcome, wrapping him in a hug and kissing his cheek. "Tom - it's lovely to see you again! Welcome to Downton Abbey - I do hope you will enjoy your stay."

Robert came towards him, having just hugged Sybil, and put out his hand rather diffidently - "Good afternoon Tom, good of you to come." They shook hands and then a slightly awkward silence ensued, which was broken by a light step outside the door – "Sybil?"

"Mary! When did you get here?" Sybil hugged her sister, then pulled back to smile at her. Knowing her so well, she could see the slightly manic glint in Mary's eyes – it was clear she was in full on party planner mode. Sybil smiled inwardly, wondering how the staff were coping with it all, given Mary's well known desire for everything to be "just so".

Matthew, smiling his quietly confident smile, strode over to shake Tom's hand – "Great to see you here, Tom. How was your journey?" As Mary started to talk excitedly about plans for the evening, Matthew's arm moved around her waist and Sybil smiled to see the way he watched her with rapt attention, not wanting to miss a thing she said. _The love between them is so obvious_, she thought, finding herself blushing a little as she wondered whether other people watched her and Tom in the same way.

"Where's Edith?"

"Sound asleep, I think – she arrived first thing this morning so is trying to shake off her jet lag in time for the party. Her guest will arrive later this evening..."

"I'm dying to meet him! What's he like, do you know?"

Mary looked puzzled – "Oh, I was sure I told you! Silly me. Edith is dating Sir Anthony Strallan – our neighbour from Locksley. Would you believe he was one of the investors in her Abu Dhabi deal? She met him for the first time in years in New York when he was over for a board meeting, and apparently they hit it off, big time. Isn't it funny – she goes halfway round the world, and ended up falling for someone from just across the way!'

Cora piped up - "Darlings, this is going to be such a wonderful weekend, all of you home together. Sybil, you might want to freshen up and relax for a while before everyone starts getting ready for the party. I've asked Mrs Hughes to get a tray ready for you, in case you are hungry. Tom, Sybil will show you to your room – we've put you…"

Tom saw tension pass across Sybil's face. "Thank you Mama - Tom and I will both be staying in my old room. You know we live together now and I am a grown woman, not a child."

Cora, clearly taken aback at her daughter's assertiveness, blinked and then decided to make the best of this unexpected situation. "If that's what you want, darling – I'll ask Carson to arrange for Tom's things to be brought there."

Sybil was surprised that her mother gave in so easily, but she could see her father was not happy so she decided to get out while the going was good. "Come on Tom, let's go."

Tom trailed up the staircase behind Sybil, finding himself very aroused when he remembered the way she had calmly taken control and stood up to her parents without causing a scene. They walked down a long corridor and she stopped at a door, turning towards him -

"Here we are Tom, our room – come in!"

She took his hand to pull him inside, and he immediately experienced a frisson of excitement from being in her girlhood room with her. He could see from her sparkling eyes that she was having similar thoughts -

"Oh Tom, being here with you - it feels a bit naughty, doesn't it? Can I tell you a secret – I've never shared this room with anyone before… I'm so happy you're here, darling."

She turned the key in the lock, hearing it click into place. Then, she moved towards him, a seductive smile on her face. She pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around his neck and putting her lips to his for a kiss. His hands were sliding up her back under her shirt when there was a knock on the door... "Lady Sybil?"

Sybil pulled away from him – "Hold that thought" – and opened the door to admit Carson, who was holding Tom's bag with an expression of disapproval on his face, no doubt because of the breach of protocol caused by an unmarried couple sharing a bedroom. He was accompanied by a trim, middle aged woman with a warm smile, who was carrying a tray with a tea pot and some sandwiches. Sybil greeted Carson, and introduced Tom to their housekeeper, Mrs Hughes.

"I understand from her Ladyship that Mr Branson will be in here with you, Lady Sybil?" said Carson, while Mrs Hughes came in and put the tray on the table by the window.

"Yes, that's right, Carson – we must move with the times, mustn't we?"

Carson's look of disapproval deepened – clearly the idea of "moving with the times" was anathema to him. However, as always, his behaviour was impeccable – 'Very good, milady."

The corners of Mrs Hughes' mouth lifted into a little smile, and she looked fondly at her colleague – "Come along, Mr Carson – we have a lot of things to help Lady Mary with for tonight. Lady Sybil, Mr Branson, do ring if you need anything else, won't you?"

They stepped back through the door and pulled it closed, and Sybil locked the door again before turning back to Tom. "Now, where were we?"

He grinned from his position by the window and beckoned her over – "Right about here, I think. Come here to me, _milady_..."

She smiled back as she walked towards him. He put his arm around her waist, while his other hand came up to stroke her hair. They exchanged a long, loving glance before he kissed her, gently and sweetly. Then, he led her to the large armchair by the window and sat down, pulling her onto his lap. Sybil nestled happily into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder as she gazed out at her landscape of memory. She nibbled on a sandwich while Tom poured out the tea.

"Tell me about what your life was like, here in this room – I really want to be able to imagine it."

She started to tell him about her life as a girl – how she, Mary and Edith had been good friends as children, but that as they grew older Edith had started to look beyond Downton Abbey and at an early age had set her sights on a demanding career which had taken her far away, meaning that Sybil wasn't as close to her as she was to Mary. She spoke about her life at Bedales, the boarding school in Hampshire where she had spent her teenage years, and (after some hesitation) she mentioned that she had her first boyfriend there, Tom Bellasis.

He quirked an eyebrow at her at this revelation – "I see, Lady Sybil – so it wasn't just hockey sticks and midnight feasts?"

"Ha ha, I wasn't in an Enid Blyton story. There were boys at the school too, and Tom was really sweet. We were friends long before we became a couple when I was 17 – his parents were friends of the family so I've known him all my life. Once we went to University, things just naturally faded away, but we are still friends – in fact, he'll probably be here tonight."

"Oh really – one of your exes, at the party? You didn't tell me that before."

"Yes, because it's no big deal. Why, are you jealous?"

Tom returned her smile, placing a kiss on her lips. "No, darling – except for the fact that this other Tom of yours was your first love – they say you never forget them. Did he ever come in here with you?"

"No, never – it really wasn't that kind of relationship."

"I like to imagine you then, Sybil – a beautiful girl in the Upper Sixth, sitting and dreaming of her first love in this chair. What were you dreaming about?"

"I didn't even know what there was to dream about, really – that must sound silly. I was just so innocent – I knew the facts of life of course, but I'd never had any practical experience of them. I suppose I dreamed about kissing him, and about him holding me, a bit like you are now, but that's far as things ever went."

He pulled her closer and kissed her again, and this time the kiss deepened quickly, his tongue pushing into her mouth. She felt his fingers run along her jawline and down her throat, stroking that pressure point between her collarbones he knew she loved him to touch. She sighed into his mouth and ran her fingers through the short hairs on the back of his neck.

They happily spent the afternoon in the armchair, talking, kissing and caressing, while a gentle breeze stirred the curtains and a shaft of sunlight brought out the blond in Tom's hair...

* * *

Tom stirred first, realising they had been asleep for almost an hour. Sybil was still curled up in his arms and he smiled as he looked at her. With her wavy hair in a messy braid, her long lashes lying on her cheeks that were rosy from sleep, and wearing a simple white buttoned shirt, she looked like the schoolgirl who had sat dreaming by this window years before.

But then again – as he looked at her beautiful face and her shapely figure beneath her shirt, he could see the woman he was so deeply in love with too. His finger went under her chin, gently tipping her face up to his for a kiss, and she came back to wakefulness immediately, purring with pleasure as she returned his kiss.

This time, it didn't take long for things to heat up between them, and soon he was picking her up in his arms and carrying her to the bed, where they lay down facing each other. He had had an idea, and whispered into her ear for a few minutes. She smiled as she listened - what he was suggesting really excited her, too, so she decided to go with it.

With practised hands, Tom quickly removed Sybil's clothes and rolled over behind her, sliding his arms around her waist and starting to stroke her naked body all over. She closed her eyes, concentrating completely on the feeling of his hands on her skin and sending her mind back in time. _Imagine if Tom Branson had been my first love, and he had been in here with me then..._.

Her hand slid down past her stomach and she began to fantasise. He focused his attention on her breasts, teasing her nipples to soft peaks with his fingers, as she caressed her clit – _Imagine if Tom Branson were doing this to me, for the first time... _The pictures that came into her mind as she stroked herself were vivid and intense, and she felt herself becoming wetter and more aroused as he murmured softly to her, telling her how he wished that he had been the first person to love her, and what he would have loved to have done with her in this room if they had been together then...

Sybil closed her eyes and her hand began to move faster. She felt herself approaching orgasm and her breath became ragged. He knew her body so well, he knew that she was close now, and he kept whispering to her about how incredibly beautiful and sexy she was, how much he had wanted her since the first moment he saw her, and how his desire for her was even stronger now that they were living together.

As he said – "Sybil, oh darling, I can never get enough of you, I never want to stop touching you," her whole body started to tremble and she felt her core contract under her fingers again and again as she came. "Oh Tom, oh my God!" she screamed, not caring who could hear her as she bucked her hips against him, sparks bursting behind her closed eyelids. Tom tightened his hold on her, burying his face in her neck and breathing her in ...

* * *

_A/N -_

Next time, the engagement party, with more of the other two STEAMM ships! :)


	14. Chapter 14

_Author's note_

As always, thank you so much to everyone who has read/followed/reviewed/favourited the story so far! I really love to hear from you - please do keep telling me what you think, it really inspires me!

This chapter continues the STEAMM arc for this story, a festival on Tumblr celebrating all three Crawley sisters and the men they love (with a nod as well to this month's Rock the Reunion AU challenge on Tumblr). This time, we are at Mary and Matthew's engagement party at Downton Abbey.

It's been fun and challenging for me, as an S/T shipper and author, to write for the other two STEAMM ships, so I hope you think I have done them justice as all three couples dance to a song I think you will remember...

* * *

**Chapter 14 - All together now**

Sybil looked around from her dressing table – "Come in, the door's open!"

Mary came into the room – "Are you nearly ready, Sybil? We should all go down together."

"Mary, you look wonderful!" Mary twirled around and the silk net overskirt of her navy blue dress spun out with her. With her elbow length gloves and her dark hair twisted into a chignon, she looked like the perfect example of an Edwardian lady.

A voice was heard from the next room – "Sybil, have you seen..." Tom appeared from behind the half open bathroom door, dressed only in a towel wrapped around his waist, and he stopped short as he saw Mary.

"Hello, Tom – are you nearly ready?" Mary smiled with amusement as she saw her sister's face – Sybil's eyes had glazed over slightly at the sight of Tom's muscular frame, still damp from the shower. Mary saw Sybil shake her head and make an effort to return to the conversation, blushing as she realised Mary had caught her out ogling her hunky boyfriend.

"Tom is coming down in a bit – he insists his costume is a surprise and wants to meet us downstairs. I'm just about ready though..."

Sybil stood up, and Mary admired her dress, which was black, traced and patterned with gold, and her hair, pinned up into a turn of the century style. "Come on Sybil, let's go!"

"You look gorgeous, love." Tom came over to claim a kiss, and the two exchanged smiles as he rested his fingers on Sybil's cheek for a moment – "See you downstairs soon."

Mary took Sybil's arm as they walked down the corridor towards Edith's room. She was nervous and excited and Sybil did her best to calm her, asking about who had already arrived from the family group.

"Well, Grandmama is here already, as you might expect – she probably won't stay late, so she always makes her appearance early..."

Sybil knocked on Edith's door – "Edith? It's us!" Edith appeared from her room, smoothing her beautiful green dress – "How do I look?"

"You look gorgeous! How did you get your hair to do that? Love those waves!" They all shared a hug and a moment of togetherness before the party really began. Then, they linked arms as they came to the head of the stairs and paused for effect -

"Hm, hm," Mary cleared her throat elaborately, to make sure everyone saw them before they came down. The eyes of the room turned as one to the three beautiful Crawley sisters as they descended the stairs, arm in arm. As they reached the foot, the first to reach them was a tall, distinguished looking man in white tie and tails, who moved immediately to Edith, taking her hand and kissing it.

"Edith, you look absolutely stunning, my dear. What a beautiful gown."

Edith blushed and dimpled as she turned towards her sisters – "Mary, Sybil, you remember Sir Anthony Strallan?"

He shook hands with both of them in turn – "Lady Mary, my congratulations on your engagement. Lady Sybil, delightful to see you again." He and Edith smiled at each other – clearly, they were both very smitten, which was lovely to see.

"I suppose it's considered out of date to greet one's aged grandparents these days?" A familiar voice sounded from across the saloon, and all three girls hurried to say hello to their grandmother, who was seated comfortably against the wall, looking perfect in her period outfit. From there, she could view the entire room and provide her own unique commentary on the events of the party.

"Granny – you're looking well!" was Sybil's greeting, as Mary leaned in to kiss her cheek and Edith exchanged smiles with the Dowager Countess, who was clearly on excellent form that evening.

"Now girls, I want to say hello to all of your young men – where are they?"

* * *

_"If you were the only girl in the world, and I were the only boy..."_

As she spoke, Matthew approached, looking very handsome in his evening clothes.

"Speaking of whom – you remember our cousin Matthew Crawley, of course?"

"Ah yes, of course – good to see you again."

"Thank you, Lady Grantham, the pleasure's all mine."

"Do call me Cousin Violet – you are family, after all."

"You're too kind, Cousin Violet. Now I trust you will excuse me if I steal Mary away for a while? We need to greet our guests."

The buzz of the party was really rising around them now – with perfect decoration and lighting, appetising food and drink, and period music just starting to play under the hum of lively conversation, Downton Abbey was looking at its absolute best, and it all felt just right for a wonderful evening ahead...

Mary was in her element, laughing as she greeted Evelyn Napier, an old flame of hers whom she felt had never really got over her, and introduced him to Matthew. The two men exchanged a slightly wary handshake – the man Mary had chosen, meeting the one she hadn't – but once Matthew learned that Evelyn was in politics (not so far removed from the law), they began to chat and discovered all kinds of people they knew in common.

Mary took Matthew's arm – "Darling, I love this song – shall we dance?"

Matthew excused himself from the conversation – "Let's have a drink in London sometime, shall we?" and turned to his fiancée.

"Have I told you just how beautiful you look tonight, my love? That dress is simply perfect." His arms moved around her and they began to sway slowly back and forth, her hand smoothing through his hair.

"You look pretty perfect yourself tonight, Matthew – oh, I am so happy with the way the party has turned out! Anna really has been a star, the way she helped me with everything - she's gone above and beyond what I'd have expected even the best PA to do, so I must get her a really special thank you present. Have I been a bit of a bridezilla about it, darling?"

He grinned - "To coin a phrase from that well known lifestyle guru, Chandler Bing - you are a little bit high maintenance, but I like - maintaining you." He smiled lovingly at her and ran the back of his hand gently down her cheek, staring into her eyes as they kept circling around the room.

"Did I ever tell you how happy I am that we are getting married? I know I can be a bit difficult sometimes, but I want you to know how much I love you, and that being with you helps me to be the best version of myself..."

"Mary, darling – I love you so much. I can't wait for us to spend the rest of our lives together. Now, can I kiss you? I need to, very much."

Mary smiled – "Well, if you must, but you'll make me untidy."

"I'll take that risk... now, come here..."

Matthew pulled Mary closer and kissed her. She let out a small sound of pleasure and tightened her arms around his neck as they continued to dance...

Evelyn looked on at the happy pair, a trace of regret on his face as he wondered what might have been, and took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter...

* * *

_"Nothing else would matter in the world today, we could go on loving in the same old way..."_

"Granny, I think you already know Sir Anthony Strallan?"

"Sir Anthony, yes of course - it's been a long time. How is life over at Locksley?

"Can't complain, Lady Grantham, can't complain, always something to be done."

As the music started to play, Edith felt the desire to be alone with her guest...

"Anthony, would you like to dance?"

"Ah Edith, I'm not sure about that, an old codger like me..." He winked at her and she smiled at what had already become a running joke between them.

"Come on, I'll hold you up...excuse us, Granny." They moved over to the dance floor and as he put his arms around her, she looked up at him. "Such a perfect night, isn't it? Mary has done a lovely job with the party, I'll give her that."

"How do you and your sisters get on?"

"Sybil is so lovely, I'd find it hard to imagine anyone not getting on with her - it's been wonderful to see her so happy with Tom this evening, I must take you over later to say hello. But Mary - to be honest, Anthony, Mary and I don't really connect that well – we seem to clash in one way or another most times we meet. Things have been better though, since I've lived in New York... maybe we appreciate each other more now that it's more difficult to be together."

"Speaking of appreciation – I am so happy to be here with you tonight, my dear. At this stage of my life, to meet a beautiful young woman like yourself and have her dancing with me at this lovely party, well, things don't get much better than that."

She looked up and stood on tiptoe to place a gentle kiss on his lips. "I'm proud and happy to be here with you tonight, Anthony. I hope you know that? Somehow over the last few years it's been all about my career for me, and I haven't made much time for my personal life, so I feel so lucky that you came along..."

Anthony smiled down at Edith and tightened his arms around her as they kept dancing - _You have no idea, my lovely girl, how lucky I feel! _Sometime soon, when he could get up the courage, he wanted to tell her just what she had come to mean to him in the last few months...

Over by the edge of the dancefloor, one of Matthew's colleagues, a quietly spoken man called Henry Lang, watched Edith with pleasure - _Mmm, now she is an absolute stunner! I wonder if I've got any chance of cutting in on that fellow of hers..._

* * *

_"I would say such wonderful things to you, there would be such wonderful things to do..."_

"Good evening, milady."

Sybil turned around and her eyes widened in amazement. Tom was standing opposite her - instead of dressing in evening clothes, like all the other men, he had chosen to wear the outfit of an old fashioned chauffeur! She couldn't help noticing how flattering the dark green livery was, the way its close fit defined his strong shoulders and arms, and she wondered what the view would be like from behind...

She introduced him to her grandmother, and as he charmed her effortlessly Sybil thought his accent sounded a bit stronger than usual. He turned back towards her, and smiled to see her confusion as they strolled away, leaving the Dowager Countess with her daughter Rosamund who had just brought over some old friends to say hello.

"I really did surprise you, didn't I, a stór! I'm a journalist, don't forget, so I did a bit of research into your family and found out that, about a hundred years ago, there was a bit of a scandal when one of the Earl's daughters fell in love with the chauffeur, and she ran away to marry him in Ireland. You have to admit, this getup is lots more fun than that penguin suit Matthew's got on!"

Sybil found herself feeling rather flustered. As she met Tom's eyes, the rest of the room seemed to melt away a little..._God, he looks absolutely gorgeous in those clothes! I don't know how I am going to restrain myself from reaching out to undo those brass buttons, right here and now..._

He knew perfectly well the impact he was having on her, and grinned – "Sure, milady, and 'tis grand to be here this evening, at all, at all." His exaggerated Irish accent had a similar effect on her to the costume he was wearing, as he had hoped – he'd known about her weakness for his accent from the first night they met and every now and again he would take advantage of it. He leaned down, lifting her face up to his for a kiss, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting to deepen it...

Sybil saw someone familiar approaching, and introduced Tom to her old boyfriend, Tom Bellasis. He was accompanied by a beautiful girl who wore her blonde hair twisted high on her head.

"Sybil – lovely to see you again. May I introduce my fiancée, Lavinia Swire?" The two Toms shook hands, and Sybil felt herself blushing a little as she remembered what she had done in her bedroom, that very afternoon, thinking about first loves...

The foursome exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes before "her" Tom said -

"Darling, would you like to dance?"

Sybil turned to him happily, smiling as she moved into his arms and he swept her away onto the dance floor, leaving the other Tom behind.

She couldn't help noticing again how perfectly his chauffeur's livery fit him as her hand rested on his shoulder. She looked up at him – with his hair slicked back, apart from a few stray strands of his fringe that she longed to touch, and his gorgeous blue eyes focused intently on hers with a gaze that burned through to her very soul, she felt faint with desire for him, particularly when she imagined herself as her long ago ancestor, falling secretly in love with the chauffeur and not able to express her feelings in public. That idea of a secret love affair between the lady and the chauffeur was getting her all hot and bothered, just as he had planned...

Tom Bellasis watched Sybil, who looked absolutely gorgeous that evening, and was obviously completely in love with the man she was dancing with, and felt just a momentary pang that things had not worked out between them. Then, he turned back to Lavinia - "Would you like a glass of something, sweetheart?" - and realised that, perhaps, things had turned out for the best after all. _All the best to you, Syb - I really hope you will be happy with him..._

* * *

_"If you were the only girl in the world and I were the only boy."_

Carson rang a little brass gong, and Robert stepped up onto the lowest tread of the staircase – "Sorry to interrupt your fun, everyone – I'd just like to say a few words."

The crowd quietened down and the song came to an end, as Robert pulled Cora up beside him and put his arm around her waist.

"On behalf of my wife Cora and myself, I'd like to welcome you all to Downton Abbey tonight, for the celebration of this wonderful occasion. We both love our three beautiful girls so much, and this party, marking the engagement of our oldest daughter Mary to Matthew Crawley, is so special for us. Mary, where are you?"

Mary made her way across the room towards her parents, holding Matthew by the hand. Robert reached down to her and placed a fond fatherly kiss on her cheek, before raising his glass –

"I'd like to ask you all to charge your glasses and drink to Mary and Matthew – they couldn't be more perfect for each other and I want to wish them a lifetime of happiness together. Mary and Matthew!"

Cries went up all around the room – "To Mary and Matthew!" as champagne glasses were emptied and refilled, while Matthew took Mary in his arms and kissed her passionately in front of them all, to general cheering and congratulations.

He then walked over to his mother, who had been sitting for the last hour trading enjoyable barbs with the Dowager Countess, and gave her a hug too, which she returned with interest, before bringing her over to Lord and Lady Grantham, for them to clink glasses all together in a parents' toast.

"I wondered for a while if we'd ever see this day, Matthew," gently chided Isobel, her face glowing with pride in her son.

Robert gently wiped a tear from Cora's cheek and pulled her in close for a hug as she turned back to the room and said - "Now, do help yourselves to the wonderful food, everyone! Just through that door, to the dining room, I believe the ice cream will be coming out soon..." - before turning back to Isobel. "Now, about the wedding planning..."

Edith came over to Sybil, taking her arm – "It's such a lovely night, isn't it! Tom, good to see you again, and what a splendid costume! Did you meet Sir Anthony Strallan?"

While Sybil was chatting to Edith and Anthony, she felt something being pushed into her hand, and turned around to see Tom heading out of the saloon towards the front door. He looked back at her briefly, before turning away. She looked at her hand – there was a folded piece of paper in it, with "Lady Sybil" written on the front – _what could it be?_ – and she made her excuses to step to the side of the room, alone, and look at it. A flush of colour raced up her cheeks as she read:

"Lady Sybil

Forgive me for my boldness – I can no longer stay silent. I must speak with you and tell you how I feel. I am so desperately in love with you, milady. My heart aches for you, and my arms long to hold you. Will you come to the garage to meet me? It's cost me all I've got to say these things, so please, milady, come to me, I'll be waiting...

Yours always, with hope

T. Branson"

Sybil's face flushed again – _what was he up to?_ She was so intrigued, she quickly sneaked away from the crowds and made her way out of the house, finding herself starting to run as she headed towards the garage...

* * *

_A/N -_

"a stór" = my darling in Irish Gaelic, per Google translate.

Hope you all enjoyed the STEAMM celebrations! The Crawley sisters certainly got to dress well in this chapter. :) Do you remember Mary's dress in 2.08 when she and Matthew danced - it was always my favourite dress of hers (among a massive selection!) and I really wanted to put her in it at this party. The other two dresses are DA costumes as well, as you can see from my Tumblr photoset.

OK - I think you can guess where I might be headed with the next chapter - did someone say garage sexytimes? ;)


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